Connectors and connector pairs

Abstract

To provide a highly reliable connector and a connector pair that exhibit high strength and achieve a high shielding effect while having a compact and low profile.SOLUTION: A first connector includes a first connector body, a first terminal attached to the first connector body, a first high-frequency terminal attached to the first connector body, and a first shield surrounding an entire circumference of the first connector body, the first connector mating with a second connector. The first shield includes: an outer wall; an inner wall that is essentially parallel to the outer wall, on an inner side of the outer wall; a coupling part that connects an upper end of the outer wall and an upper end of the inner wall; an outwardly extending flange part connected to a lower end of the outer wall; and a housing part with a circumference surrounded by the inner wall, the housing part housing the second connector. The outer wall and the flange part are continuous around the entire circumference of the first connector body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector and a pair of connectors.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in order to electrically connect a pair of parallel circuit boards, a connector such as a board-to-board connector has been used. Such a connector is attached to each of the mutually opposing surfaces of a pair of circuit boards and is configured to be fitted to each other to conduct electricity. In addition, in order to make it less susceptible to the influence of external noise and radio waves and to suppress the emission of external noise and radio waves, a technique of providing a shielding member has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] FIG. 28 is a perspective view showing a conventional connector.

[0004] In the figure, 811 is a housing of a receptacle connector as a connector mounted on the surface of a first circuit board (not shown), and has a fitting recess 812 into which a plug connector mounted on the surface of a second circuit board (not shown) is inserted and fitted. The four sides of the fitting recess 812 having a rectangular shape in plan view are defined by side wall portions 814. In addition, a pair of convex portions 813 protruding from the bottom plate 818 thereof are formed in the fitting recess 812. An opening 818a is formed in the bottom plate 818 between the convex portions 813.

[0005] And a plurality of terminals 861 are attached to each of the convex portions 813 side by side in the longitudinal direction of the convex portion 813. Each terminal 861 has a contact portion 865 protruding from the inner wall surface of the side wall portion 814 and a tail portion 862 protruding from the convex portion 813 into the opening 818a. The tail portion 862 is soldered to a connection pad formed on the surface of the first circuit board. In addition, when the receptacle connector is fitted to the plug connector, the contact portion 865 contacts the terminal of the plug connector to conduct electricity.

[0006] Furthermore, a conductive shell 851 is attached to the housing 811 so as to completely cover the outer surface of the side wall portion 814. The conductive shell 851 has a plurality of substrate connection portions 851a, and these substrate connection portions 851a are soldered to connection pads formed on the surface of the first circuit board. In this way, since the outer circumferential surface of the housing 811 is covered by the conductive shell 851, an electromagnetic shielding effect is provided by the conductive shell 851 to both the receptacle connector and the plug connector that is inserted into and mated in the mating recess 812. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-177884 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] However, the conventional connectors described above cannot adequately meet the demands for miniaturization of components and increased signal speeds in recent electronic devices. Electronic devices such as laptop computers, tablets, smartphones, digital cameras, music players, game consoles, and navigation devices require smaller and lower profile housings and consequently smaller and lower profile components, as well as higher signal speeds to cope with the increase in the amount of communication data and the increased speed of communication and data processing. However, the conventional connectors described above have large dimensions in each part of the housing 811, and reducing the dimensions of each part would result in insufficient strength, so they cannot adequately meet the demands for smaller and lower profile connectors. Furthermore, as various signals are becoming faster, there is a demand for the transmission of high-frequency signals, but the conventional connectors do not have sufficiently high electromagnetic shielding capabilities, so they cannot transmit high-frequency signals.

[0009] The objective here is to solve the problems of the conventional connectors described above and to provide a highly reliable connector and connector pair that is small and low-profile, yet exhibits high strength and high shielding effect. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To this end, the first connector comprises a first connector body, a first terminal attached to the first connector body, a first high-frequency terminal attached to the first connector body, and a first shield surrounding the entire circumference of the first connector body, and is a first connector that mates with a second connector, wherein the first shield includes an outer wall, an inner wall substantially parallel to the outer wall on the inside of the outer wall, a connecting portion connecting the upper end of the outer wall and the upper end of the inner wall, an outwardly extending flange portion connected to the lower end of the outer wall, and a housing portion surrounded by the inner wall for housing the second connector, and the outer wall and flange portion are continuous around the entire circumference of the first connector body. Furthermore, the straight and curved portions of the inner wall are separated by the slit portion. ru.

[0012] Furthermore, other first connectors further include a shielding plate attached to the first connector body, the shielding plate extending in the width direction of the first connector between the first terminal and the first high-frequency terminal.

[0013] The second connector comprises a second connector body, a second terminal attached to the second connector body, a second high-frequency terminal attached to the second connector body, and a second shield surrounding the entire periphery of the second connector body, and is a second connector that mates with the first connector, wherein the second shield includes an outer wall, an inner wall, an upper wall connecting the upper end of the outer wall and the upper end of the inner wall, and an outwardly extending flange portion connected to the lower end of the outer wall, the second connector body includes protruding ends disposed at both longitudinal ends of the second connector, the upper wall covers at least a portion of the upper surface of the protruding ends, and the inner wall is 、 The protruding end The inner wall surface, which faces inward in the longitudinal direction of the second connector It covers at least a portion of the interior wall surface.

[0014] In other second connectors, the outer wall and flange portion are further continuous around the entire circumference of the second connector body.

[0015] Furthermore, in other second connectors, the protruding end is connected to a part of the outer wall, the inner wall, and the upper wall.

[0016] In other second connectors, the second high-frequency terminal is further attached to the protruding end, and the entire circumference of the second high-frequency terminal is surrounded by the outer wall and the inner wall.

[0017] The connector pair comprises a first connector having a first connector body, a first terminal attached to the first connector body, a first high-frequency terminal attached to the first connector body, and a first shield surrounding the entire periphery of the first connector body; and a second connector having a second connector body, a second terminal attached to the second connector body, a second high-frequency terminal attached to the second connector body, and a second shield surrounding the entire periphery of the second connector body, and mating with the first connector, wherein the first shield has an outer wall, an inner wall substantially parallel to the outer wall on the inside of the outer wall, and the upper end of the outer wall and the inner The first shield includes a connecting portion that connects to the upper end of the wall, an outwardly extending flange portion connected to the lower end of the outer wall, and a housing portion surrounded by the inner wall, the inner wall including a straight portion and a curved portion, the second shield includes an outer wall, an inner wall, an upper wall connecting the upper end of the outer wall and the upper end of the inner wall, and an outwardly extending flange portion connected to the lower end of the outer wall, and is housed in the housing portion of the first shield, the second connector body includes protruding ends disposed at both longitudinal ends of the second connector, the upper wall covers at least a portion of the upper surface of the protruding ends, and the inner wall covers at least a portion of the inner wall surface of the protruding ends.

[0018] In other connector pairs, further, the first connector further includes a shield plate attached to the first connector body, and the shield plate extends in the width direction of the first connector between the first terminal and the first high-frequency terminal and contacts the inner wall of the second shield.

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] According to the present disclosure, the connector and the connector pair can exhibit high strength while being small and low-profile, obtain a high shielding effect, and improve reliability.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view before fitting of the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is an exploded view of the first connector in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a top view of the first connector in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a view for explaining the A-A arrow-view portion of the first connector in the first embodiment, where (a) is a cross-sectional view of the A-A arrow-view portion in FIG. 3, (b) is a perspective view showing the cross-section of the A-A arrow-view portion in FIG. 3, and (c) is a perspective view showing the periphery of the A-A arrow-view portion in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a bottom view of the first connector in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view of the second connector in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] It is an exploded view of the second connector in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view of the second shield in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a top view of the second connector in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a view for explaining the B-B arrow-view portion of the second connector in the first embodiment, where (a) is a side cross-sectional view of the B-B arrow-view portion in FIG. 9 and (b) is a perspective view showing the cross-section of the B-B arrow-view portion in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] This is a bottom view of the second connector in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a plan view of the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment in a mated state. [Figure 13] The first embodiment shows a cross-sectional view of the first connector and the second connector in a mated state, where (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the CC arrow in Figure 12, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the DD arrow in Figure 12, and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the EE arrow in Figure 12. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view of the first connector and the second connector before mating in the second embodiment. [Figure 15] This is an exploded view of the first connector in the second embodiment. [Figure 16] Two views of the first connector in the second embodiment, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the FF arrow in (a). [Figure 17] This is a perspective view of the first connector in the second embodiment, as seen from the FF arrow. [Figure 18] This is a bottom view of the first connector in the second embodiment. [Figure 19] This is a perspective view showing the solder sheets applied to each board connection portion of the first connector in the second embodiment. [Figure 20] This is a perspective view of the second connector in the second embodiment. [Figure 21] This is an exploded view of the second connector in the second embodiment. [Figure 22] This is a perspective view of the second shield in the second embodiment. [Figure 23] Two views of the second connector in the second embodiment, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow GG in (a). [Figure 24] This is a perspective view of the second connector in the second embodiment, as seen through the arrow GG. [Figure 25] This is a bottom view of the second connector in the second embodiment. [Figure 26] This is a perspective view showing the solder sheets applied to each board connection portion of the second connector in the second embodiment. [Figure 27] This is a four-view drawing showing the state in which the first connector and the second connector are mated in the second embodiment, where (a) is a plan view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line HH in (a), (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II in (a), and (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line JJ in (a). [Figure 28] This is a perspective view showing a conventional connector. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] The first embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the first connector and the second connector before mating in the first embodiment, Figure 2 is an exploded view of the first connector in the first embodiment, Figure 3 is a top view of the first connector in the first embodiment, Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the area of ​​the first connector as seen by arrow AA in the first embodiment, and Figure 5 is a bottom view of the first connector in the first embodiment. In Figure 4, (a) is a cross-sectional view of the area

[0023] In the figure, 1 is a first connector, which is one of a pair of board-to-board connectors that constitute a connector pair in this embodiment. The first connector 1 is a surface-mount type receptacle connector mounted on the surface of a first board, which is a board not shown as a mounting member, and is mated with the second connector 101 as the mating connector. The second connector 101 is the other of the pair of board-to-board connectors, and is a surface-mount type plug connector mounted on the surface of a second board, which is a board not shown as a mounting member.

[0024] In this embodiment, the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 of the connector pair are preferably used to electrically connect the first substrate and the second substrate as substrates, but they can also be used to electrically connect other components. The first substrate and the second substrate are, for example, printed circuit boards used in electronic devices, flexible flat cables (FFCs), flexible printed circuits (FPCs), etc., but any type of substrate may be used.

[0025] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the expressions indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back, used to describe the configuration and operation of each part of the connector pair, the first connector 1 and the second connector 101, are relative rather than absolute. They are appropriate when each part of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is in the position shown in the figure, but should be modified and interpreted accordingly if the position changes.

[0026] The first connector 1 comprises a first shield 50, which is a first outer shield and is a receptacle shield formed by punching, drawing, or other processing on a conductive metal plate, and a first housing 11, which is a first connector body integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The first housing 11 has a flat bottom plate 18 and a pair of first protrusions 13 that project upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 18. The first protrusions 13 as a whole are located inward in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the first connector 1 compared to both sides of the bottom plate 18.

[0027] Each first protrusion 13 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped member extending in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the first connector 1. Multiple (three in the example shown) first terminal housing cavities 15 are formed along the longitudinal direction at a predetermined pitch (for example, 0.35 mm) from the inner surface to the upper surface facing each other. The pitch and number of the first terminal housing cavities 15 can be changed as appropriate. Multiple first terminals 61, which are housed in each of the first terminal housing cavities 15 and loaded into the first housing 11, are also arranged on both sides of each first protrusion 13 at a similar pitch. That is, multiple first terminals 61 are arranged along each first protrusion 13, forming a pair of parallel terminal groups. The first terminal housing cavities 15 are formed to penetrate the bottom plate 18 in the thickness direction (Z-axis direction).

[0028] Furthermore, near both longitudinal ends of the first protrusion 13, shield plate housing slits 13b are formed as slits. A shield plate 56, which serves as the first inner shield, is housed in the shield plate housing slits 13b. In the example shown in the figure, the shield plate housing slits 13b extend continuously from the upper surface to the inner and outer surfaces of the first protrusion 13, and are formed to penetrate the bottom plate 18 in the thickness direction from the inner and outer surfaces. The bottom plate 18 between the first protrusions 13 has a thicker section 18b than other sections (dimension in the Z-axis direction), but as shown in Figure 4(c), with respect to the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, a shield plate housing opening 18a is formed as an opening that penetrates in the thickness direction at the position corresponding to the shield plate housing slits 13b and in its vicinity.

[0029] Furthermore, on the widthwise outer side of the first connector 1 at the first protrusion 13, an outer recess 13a is formed that recesses inward in a range closer to the longitudinal center than the shield plate housing slit 13b. The outer recess 13a is formed to extend in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) from the upper surface of the first protrusion 13 to the lower surface of the base plate 18, so that the base plate 18 does not exist beyond the outer recess 13a in the widthwise outer side of the first connector 1.

[0030] Furthermore, with respect to the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, outside the shield plate housing opening 18a, a pair of support parts, the first high-frequency terminal support parts 16, are formed, projecting upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 18. The shape of the first high-frequency terminal support parts 16, as seen from above, is a generally U-shaped columnar member, as shown in Figure 3, and has a first high-frequency terminal housing groove 16a that extends in the vertical direction. The first high-frequency terminal support parts 16 are arranged such that the openings of their respective first high-frequency terminal housing grooves 16a face in opposite directions, and as shown in Figure 3, they are arranged so as to be point-symmetric with respect to the center of the first connector 1 when viewed from above, i.e., in a plan view, and so as to be offset outward in the width direction, spaced apart from the center in the width direction of the first connector 1. The first high-frequency terminal 71 is housed in the first high-frequency terminal housing groove 16a. Furthermore, below and in front of the first high-frequency terminal housing groove 16a, a first high-frequency terminal housing opening 16b is formed as an opening that penetrates the bottom plate 18 in the thickness direction.

[0031] Furthermore, at the outermost end of the base plate 18, with respect to the longitudinal and width directions of the first connector 1, there is a connection end 18c that connects to the first shield 50. The first shield 50 is integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding. That is, the first housing 11 is molded by filling an insulating material such as synthetic resin into the cavity of a mold in which the first shield 50 has been pre-set, and is integrally connected to the first shield 50 at the connection end 18c.

[0032] The first shield 50 is a component integrally formed from a conductive metal plate by processing such as punching and drawing, and as shown in Figure 3, when viewed from above, that is, in a plan view, it is a roughly rectangular frame-shaped component that surrounds the first housing 11. The first shield 50 includes a pair of long sides 50a that extend linearly in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, a pair of short sides 50b that extend linearly in the width direction of the first connector 1, and four corner sides 50c that are curved at approximately 90 degrees and connect one end of the long sides 50a to one end of the short sides 50b.

[0033] Furthermore, the first shield 50 includes an outer wall 52, an inner wall 51 that is substantially parallel to the outer wall 52 on the inside of the outer wall 52, and a connecting portion 53 that connects and integrates the upper end of the outer wall 52 and the upper end of the inner wall 51. The outer wall 52 is a continuous wall around its entire circumference, while the inner wall 51 is separated into a straight portion 51a and a curved portion 51b by slit portions 53a formed at both ends of each corner portion 50c. The straight portion 51a is a straight portion in a plan view and corresponds to the long side portion 50a and the short side portion 50b. The curved portion 51b is a curved portion in a plan view and corresponds to the corner portion 50c. The slit portion 53a is a notch that starts from the upper end of the connecting portion 53, extends downward along the inner wall 51, and is open at the lower end of the inner wall 51. Therefore, in the connecting portion 53, a portion adjacent to the outer wall 52 is continuous around its entire circumference, but the portion adjacent to the inner wall 51 is separated by the slit portion 53a into a portion corresponding to the long side portion 50a and the short side portion 50b, and a portion corresponding to the corner portion 50c. The space surrounded by the portions of the inner wall 51 corresponding to the long side portion 50a, the short side portion 50b, and the corner portion 50c is a housing portion 50d into which the second connector 101, which is a plug connector, is inserted and housed.

[0034] The straight portion 51a of the inner wall 51 has a curved end portion 51d connected to its lower end and an engaging recess 51c formed above the curved end portion 51d. The curved end portion 51d is a part that is curved so that its tip points diagonally downward inward from the housing portion 50d, and a connecting end 18c of the bottom plate 18 is connected to a part of it. In other words, the straight portion 51a is connected to the first housing 11. In contrast, the curved portion 51b does not have a curved end portion 51d and is not connected to the first housing 11. The engaging recess 51c is a part that engages with an engaging projection 152c formed on the outer wall 152 of the second shield 150 provided by the second connector 101 when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are fitted together, and extends linearly in the longitudinal or widthwise direction of the first connector 1. As described above, each straight section 51a is relatively flexible because both ends are separated from the other parts by the slit sections 53a, and can be elastically deformed in the direction of moving closer to or further away from the outer wall 52.

[0035] A flange portion 54, which is a flat portion extending outward, is connected to the lower end of the outer wall 52 via a curved portion 52a that is curved at approximately 90 degrees. The curved portion 52a and the flange portion 54 are continuously connected to the lower end of the outer wall 52 around its entire circumference. In the example shown in the figure, several small notches 54a are formed in the flange portion 54, but these notches 54a can be omitted as appropriate.

[0036] The flange portion 54 functions as a substrate connection portion, with its lower surface parallel to the surface of the first substrate, and is connected to a connection pad on the surface by soldering or the like. The connection pad is typically connected to the ground line. The outer wall 52 is a continuous wall around its entire circumference, and its upper end is a continuous portion at the connecting portion 53, connected to a portion including a section extending perpendicular to the outer wall 52 in a cross-section as shown in Figure 4(a), and its lower end is a continuous member like the flange portion 54, connected to a member extending perpendicular to the outer wall 52 in a cross-section as shown in Figure 4(a), thus having relatively high rigidity and being resistant to deformation. In this embodiment, an example is shown where the flange portion 54 is continuously connected to the lower end of the outer wall 52 around its entire circumference, but if relatively high rigidity is not required, it may be connected to only a part of it.

[0037] When the first housing 11 is connected to the first shield 50 within the housing portion 50d, a first recess 12 is formed within the housing portion 50d, which is a recess surrounded by an inner wall 51 and defined below by a bottom plate 18, and which engages with the second connector 101. Furthermore, between the pair of first protrusions 13, an inner groove portion 12a is formed as part of the first recess 12, which is an elongated recess extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1. In addition, between each first protrusion 13 and the inner wall 51, an outer groove portion 12c is formed as part of the first recess 12, which is an elongated recess extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1. Furthermore, on the outer ends of both protrusions 13 in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, engagement recesses 12b are formed as part of the first recess 12.

[0038] The first terminal 61 is a component integrally formed by punching, bending, or other processing on a conductive metal plate, and comprises a retained portion 63, a tail portion 62 as a substrate connection portion connected to the lower end of the retained portion 63, an upper connection portion 65 connected to the upper end of the retained portion 63, and a lower connection portion 64 connected to the lower end of the upper connection portion 65.

[0039] The retained portion 63 extends in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and is press-fitted into the first terminal housing cavity 15 for retention. The first terminal 61 is not necessarily attached to the first housing 11 by press-fitting; it may be integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding. However, for the sake of explanation, this description will focus on the case where the retained portion 63 is press-fitted into the first terminal housing cavity 15 for retention.

[0040] Furthermore, the tail portion 62 is bent and connected to the retained portion 63, extending outward in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), that is, in the width direction of the first connector 1, and is connected to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace on the first substrate by soldering or the like. The conductive trace may be a power line that supplies power, but is typically a signal line. Furthermore, this explanation assumes that the signal line does not transmit high-frequency signals, but rather transmits signals of a normal frequency lower than high-frequency signals (for example, a frequency of less than 10 [GHz]). The tail portion 62 is visible when viewed from the mating direction of the first connector 1, that is, when viewed from the mating surface 1a side.

[0041] Furthermore, the upper connecting portion 65 is a portion that is curved by approximately 180 degrees so as to protrude upward (positive Z-axis direction). A lower connecting portion 64 extending downward (negative Z-axis direction) is connected to the lower end of the upper connecting portion 65 opposite to the retained portion 63. It is desirable that the lower part of the lower connecting portion 64 is curved so that its tip faces inward in the width direction of the first connector 1. In addition, a contact portion 65a is formed near the lower end of the upper connecting portion 65, which is curved so as to bulge inward in the width direction of the first connector 1. This contact portion 65a is the part that contacts the second terminal 161 of the second connector 101.

[0042] The first terminal 61 is press-fitted into the first terminal housing cavity 15 from the mounting surface 1b side, which is the lower surface (negative Z-axis direction surface) of the first connector 1, and the retained portion 63 is held from both sides by the inner sides of the first terminal housing cavity 15, thereby fixing it to the first housing 11. In this state, that is, with the first terminal 61 loaded into the first housing 11, the contact portions 65a protrude from the inner surfaces of each first convex portion 13 into the inner recessed groove portion 12a and face each other.

[0043] The first high-frequency terminal 71 is a component integrally formed by punching, bending, or other processing on a conductive metal plate, and comprises a retained portion 73, a tail portion 72 which serves as a substrate connection portion connected to the lower end of the retained portion 73, and an upper connection portion 75 which is connected to the upper end of the retained portion 73.

[0044] The retained portion 73 extends in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and is the portion that is press-fitted into and held within the first high-frequency terminal housing groove 16a. As described above, the first high-frequency terminal support portions 16 are arranged so that the openings of their respective first high-frequency terminal housing grooves 16a face in opposite directions, so the first high-frequency terminals 71 whose retained portions 73 are held within the first high-frequency terminal housing grooves 16a also face in opposite directions. The first high-frequency terminals 71 are not necessarily attached to the first housing 11 by press-fitting, but may be integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding. However, for the sake of explanation, the case in which the retained portion 73 is press-fitted into and held within the first high-frequency terminal housing groove 16a will be described here.

[0045] Furthermore, the tail portion 72 is bent and connected to the retained portion 73, extending in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), that is, toward the center of the width direction of the first connector 1, and is connected to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace on the first substrate by soldering or the like. The conductive trace is a signal line, and is typically described as transmitting a high-frequency signal with a high frequency (for example, a frequency of 10 GHz or higher), such as an RF signal.

[0046] Furthermore, the upper connecting portion 75 is curved in a roughly S-shape when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, and the portion that curves outward toward the center in the width direction of the first connector 1 functions as a contact portion 75a. This contact portion 75a is the portion that contacts the second high-frequency terminal 171 provided on the second connector 101.

[0047] The first high-frequency terminal 71 is press-fitted from the mounting surface 1b side into the first high-frequency terminal housing groove 16a of the first high-frequency terminal support portion 16 located within the mating recess 12b, and the retained portion 73 is held from both sides by the inner sides of the first high-frequency terminal housing groove 16a, thereby fixing it to the first housing 11. In this state, that is, with the first high-frequency terminal 71 loaded into the first housing 11, the contact portions 75a of the pair of first high-frequency terminals 71 face in opposite directions.

[0048] The shield plate 56 is a component integrally formed by punching, bending, or other processing of a conductive metal plate, and comprises a central portion 58 and a pair of lateral portions 57 connected to both sides of the central portion 58.

[0049] The central portion 58, when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, has a shape that is roughly an inverted Y, but when viewed from the width direction of the first connector 1, it is not upright in the vertical direction, but is inclined outward in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1. The central portion 58 also includes one curved portion 58b and two inclined legs 58a that extend outward from the lower end of the curved portion 58b. The lower end of each inclined leg 58a is connected to an adjacent lateral portion 57. The curved portion 58b bulges outward in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, and its tip is curved so that it faces inward in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1. The outer surface of the curved portion 58b that bulges outward in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1 functions as a contact portion 58c and contacts the inner wall 151 of the second shield 150 provided by the second connector 101.

[0050] Furthermore, when viewed from the width direction of the first connector 1, the lateral portion 57 is positioned upright in the vertical direction. Each lateral portion 57 has an outer portion 57a ​​that extends linearly in the vertical direction, an inner portion 57b that is roughly L-shaped when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, and an upper portion 57c that connects the upper end of the outer portion 57a ​​and the upper end of the inner portion 57b. The inner portion 57b also includes a connecting portion 57d that extends inward in the width direction of the first connector 1, and the lower end of the inclined leg portion 58a, which is inclined outward in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, is connected to the upper end of the connecting portion 57d, which is positioned upright in the vertical direction. The space defined around the outer portion 57a, inner portion 57b, and upper portion 57c functions as a retained recess 57f. Furthermore, the lower ends of the outer portion 57a ​​and the inner portion 57b function as a tail portion 57e, which is a substrate connection portion and is connected to the connection pad of the first substrate by soldering or the like. The connection pad is typically connected to the ground line. Note that the tail portion 57e is not visible when viewed from the mating direction of the first connector 1, that is, when viewed from the mating surface 1a side.

[0051] The shield plate 56 is press-fitted into the shield plate housing slit 13b from the mating surface 1a side, which is the upper surface (positive Z-axis direction surface) of the first connector 1, and is fixed to the first housing 11 by the retained recess 57f clamping the sides of the first protrusion 13 within the shield plate housing slit 13b from both sides. In this state, that is, with the shield plate 56 loaded into the first housing 11, the contact portion 58c protrudes into the mating recess 12b from both longitudinal ends of the first protrusion 13, and the vicinity of the lower end of the outer portion 57a ​​is close to the lower end of the curved portion 51b on the inner wall 51 of the first shield 50, with the outer recessed groove portion 12c in between. The shield plate 56 is not necessarily attached to the first housing 11 by press-fitting; it may also be integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding. However, for the sake of explanation, the case in which the shield plate 56 is press-fitted and held within the shield plate housing slit 13b will be described here.

[0052] The first connector 1 is then mounted on the surface of the first substrate by applying a first solder sheet (not shown) as a solder sheet to the mounting surface 1b side of the connector 1, and by heating and melting the first solder sheet in a heating furnace or the like, it is fixed and mounted on the surface of the first substrate. The means for connecting the first shield 50, first terminal 61, first high-frequency terminal 71, shield plate 56, etc. to the connection pads of the first substrate are not necessarily limited to soldering, and for example, conductive adhesive may be used, or even if soldering is used, it may be done by applying solder paste, transferring solder paste, dipping, jet soldering, etc. instead of applying a solder sheet, but here, for the sake of explanation, the case in which a solder sheet is used will be described.

[0053] The first solder sheet includes a pair of elongated strip-shaped long side portions extending linearly and continuously in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, a plurality of elongated strip-shaped short side portions extending linearly and continuously in the width direction of the first connector 1, and a plurality of rectangular short portions whose long side extends in the width direction of the first connector 1 and whose short side extends in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1. It is desirable that both ends of each short side portion are connected to the long side portions. Furthermore, the long side portions and short side portions do not necessarily have to extend continuously and may be intermittent, but here they will be described as extending continuously.

[0054] The pair of long sides are attached to the lower surface of the flange portion 54 corresponding to the long side portion 50a of the first shield 50, the pair of short sides are attached to the lower surface of the flange portion 54 corresponding to the short side portion 50b of the first shield 50, and the other pair of short sides are attached to the lower surface of the tail portion 57e of the shield plate 56. In addition, each short portion is attached to the lower surface of the tail portion 62 of each first terminal 61 and the lower surface of the tail portion 72 of each first high-frequency terminal 71, respectively.

[0055] When the first solder sheet applied in this manner is heated and melted, and the first connector 1 is mounted on the surface of the first substrate, the curved portion 52a and flange portion 54, which are continuously connected around the entire circumference of the first shield 50, are connected to the connection pad on the surface of the first substrate without any gaps to the lower end of the outer wall 52, which is continuous around the entire circumference of the first shield 50. Therefore, the strength of the first shield 50 connected to the connection pad on the surface of the first substrate is high, and consequently, the strength of the entire first connector 1, whose outer circumference is surrounded by the first shield 50, is high. Furthermore, the electromagnetic shielding effect exhibited by the first shield 50, which is connected to the connection pad on the surface of the first substrate without any gaps, is very high, and the first connector 1, whose outer circumference is surrounded by the first shield 50, is electromagnetically shielded very effectively. In particular, because the lower surface of the flange portion 54 is very smooth, the strength of the first shield 50 connected to the connection pad on the surface of the first substrate can be made extremely high, and since there is no gap between it and the connection pad on the surface of the first substrate, the electromagnetic shielding effect can also be made extremely high.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(b), the mating recess 12b, which has a roughly rectangular planar shape, is defined on three sides by the long side 50a and short side 50b of the first shield 50, and the remaining side is defined by the shield plate 56, so that the entire perimeter is shielded. Therefore, the first high-frequency terminal 71 located within the mating recess 12b is very effectively electromagnetically shielded. Consequently, it can exhibit a shielding effect equivalent to that of a conventional coaxial connector, and high-frequency signals can be transmitted effectively. Although the shield plate 56, when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, is not a continuous plate-like member but has multiple gaps, and therefore has a lower electromagnetic shielding effect compared to the long side 50a and short side 50b of the first shield 50, the dimensions of each gap are small, and the spacing between the multiple tail portions 57e connected to the connection pads on the surface of the first substrate by soldering is narrow, so it can exhibit a practically sufficient electromagnetic shielding effect. Furthermore, since the vicinity of the lower end of the outer portion 57a ​​is close to the lower end of the curved portion 51b of the inner wall 51 of the first shield 50, the shield plate 56 can work in cooperation with the first shield 50 to exert a sufficient electromagnetic shielding effect.

[0057] Thus, because the first connector 1 has high strength and high electromagnetic shielding effect, it can transmit high-frequency signals even when miniaturized and low-profile. For example, even if the dimensions of the first connector 1 in the longitudinal, width, and height directions are set to 3.3 mm or less, 2.3 mm or less, and 0.6 mm or less, the first high-frequency terminal 71 can transmit high-frequency signals of about 60 GHz.

[0058] Next, the configuration of the second connector 101 will be described.

[0059] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the second connector in the first embodiment, Figure 7 is an exploded view of the second connector in the first embodiment, Figure 8 is a perspective view of the second shield in the first embodiment, Figure 9 is a top view of the second connector in the first embodiment, Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the BB arrow view portion of the second connector in the first embodiment, and Figure 11 is a bottom view of the second connector in the first embodiment. In Figure 10, (a) is a side cross-sectional view of the BB arrow view portion in Figure 9, and (b) is a perspective view showing the cross-section of the BB arrow view portion in Figure 9.

[0060] The second connector 101 in this embodiment has a second shield 150 as a second outer shield, which is a plug shield formed by punching, drawing, or other processing on a conductive metal plate, and a second housing 111 as a second connector body, which is integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The second housing 111 has a flat bottom plate 118, a second protrusion 112 as a convex portion that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 118 at the longitudinal center of the second connector 101, and a pair of protruding ends 122 that protrude upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 118 at both ends in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the second connector 101. The second protrusion 112 is narrower than the protruding ends 122 and is located inward in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the second connector 101 than both ends of the protruding ends 122.

[0061] The second protrusion 112 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped member extending in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101. A long, narrow groove-shaped central slit 112b is formed in the center in the width direction, recessing downward from the top surface. The left and right sides of the central slit 112b form terminal support walls 112a that support the second terminals 161 as mating terminals. The second terminals 161 are arranged on the outer surface of the terminal support walls 112a in a number corresponding to the pitch of the first terminals 61. That is, multiple second terminals 161 are arranged along each terminal support wall 112a, forming a pair of parallel terminal groups (mate terminal groups).

[0062] Each protruding end 122 includes an outer wall surface 122a facing outward in the longitudinal direction and both sides in the width direction of the second connector 101, an upper surface 122b facing the mating surface 101a side of the second connector 101, and an inner wall surface 122c facing inward in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101. Each protruding end 122 is spaced apart from both ends of the second protrusion 112 in the longitudinal direction. A second high-frequency terminal support portion 116 is formed on each protruding end 122 as a support portion. The second high-frequency terminal support portion 116 has a second high-frequency terminal housing groove 116a that extends in the vertical direction and has a roughly U-shape when viewed from above. Furthermore, the second high-frequency terminal support portions 116 are arranged such that the openings of their respective second high-frequency terminal housing grooves 116a face in opposite directions. Moreover, as shown in Figure 9, when viewed from above, i.e., in a plan view, they are arranged to be point-symmetric with respect to the center of the second connector 101, and are offset outward in the width direction, away from the center in the width direction of the second connector 101. The second high-frequency terminal 171 is housed in the second high-frequency terminal housing groove 116a. Below and in front of the second high-frequency terminal housing groove 116a, a second high-frequency terminal housing opening 116b is formed, which penetrates the bottom plate 118 in the thickness direction. Furthermore, at each protruding end portion 122, a first high-frequency terminal housing recess 116c is formed in front of the second high-frequency terminal housing groove 116a, extending from the second high-frequency terminal housing opening 116b to the upper surface 122b and opening onto the upper surface 122b, which serves as a mating terminal housing recess.

[0063] The second shield 150 is a component integrally formed from a conductive metal plate by processes such as punching and drawing, and in plan view, it is a roughly rectangular frame-shaped component that surrounds the second housing 111. The second shield 150 includes a pair of long sides 150a extending linearly in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101, a pair of short sides 150b extending linearly in the width direction of the second connector 101, and four corner portions 150c curved at approximately 90 degrees that connect one end of the long sides 150a to one end of the short sides 150b.

[0064] Furthermore, the second shield 150 includes an outer wall 152, an inner wall 151 as a second inner shield, and an upper wall 153. The outer wall 152 is a continuous wall around its entire circumference. The upper wall 153 is connected to the upper end of the outer wall 152 near each short side portion 150b, the corner portions 150c at both ends of the short side portions 150b, and near both ends of each long side portion 150a, and is formed to cover at least a portion, preferably more than half, of the upper surface 122b of the protruding end portion 122. The upper wall 153 has a first high-frequency terminal housing opening 153a formed therein, which corresponds to the first high-frequency terminal housing recess 116c. Furthermore, the inner wall 151 extends downward, with its upper end connected to the longitudinal inner end of the second connector 101 on the upper wall 153, and is formed to cover at least a portion, preferably almost the entire, of the inner wall surface 122c of the protruding end 122. A curved upper wall connection portion 151a is formed at the upper end of the inner wall 151, which is connected to the upper wall 153, and a tail portion 151b, which serves as a substrate connection portion and is curved so that its tip faces inward in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101, is connected at the lower end of the inner wall 151. The tail portion 151b has a lower surface parallel to the surface of the second substrate and is connected to a connection pad on the surface by soldering or the like. The connection pad is typically connected to the ground line. The space surrounded by the outer wall 152 and the pair of inner walls 151, which correspond to the pair of long sides 150a, is a second recess 113 into which the first protrusion 13 of the first connector 1 is inserted and accommodated.

[0065] A flange portion 154, which is a flat portion, is connected to the lower end of the outer wall 152 via a curved portion 152a that is curved at approximately 90 degrees. The curved portion 152a and the flange portion 154 are continuously connected to the lower end of the outer wall 152 around its entire circumference. In the example shown in the figure, several small notches 154a are formed in the flange portion 154, but these notches 154a can be omitted as appropriate.

[0066] The flange portion 154 functions as a substrate connection portion, with its lower surface parallel to the surface of the second substrate, and is connected to a connection pad on the surface by soldering or the like. The connection pad is typically connected to the ground line. Furthermore, the outer wall 152 is a continuous wall around its entire circumference, and its lower end is a continuous member like the flange portion 154, and in the cross-section shown in Figure 10(a), it is connected to a member extending in a direction perpendicular to the outer wall 152, so it has relatively high rigidity and is resistant to deformation. In this embodiment, an example is shown where the flange portion 154 is continuously connected to the lower end of the outer wall 152 around its entire circumference, but if relatively high rigidity is not required, it may be connected to only a part of it.

[0067] Furthermore, the outer wall 152 corresponding to the long side portion 150a and the short side portion 150b has an engaging projection 152c that protrudes outward. The engaging projection 152c is the portion that engages with an engaging recess 51c formed in the inner wall 51 of the first shield 50 provided by the first connector 1 when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are fitted together, and extends linearly in the longitudinal or widthwise direction of the second connector 101.

[0068] The second shield 150 is integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding. Specifically, the second housing 111 is molded by filling an insulating material such as synthetic resin into the cavity of a mold in which the second shield 150 has been pre-set, and is integrally connected to the second shield 150 at the protruding end 122.

[0069] The second terminal 161 is a component integrally formed by punching, bending, or other processing of a conductive metal plate, and comprises a retained portion 163, a tail portion 162 as a substrate connection portion connected to one end of the retained portion 163, a lower connection portion 165 connected to the other end of the retained portion 163 and extending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and an upper connection portion 164 connected to the upper end of the lower connection portion 165. The second terminal 161 is then integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding. That is, the second housing 111 is molded by filling an insulating material such as synthetic resin into the cavity of a mold in which the second terminal 161 has been pre-set.

[0070] As a result, the second terminal 161 is integrally attached to the terminal support wall 112a such that at least a portion of it is embedded within the terminal support wall 112a of the second protrusion 112 in the second housing 111, and a portion of the upper connection portion 164 and the surface of the lower connection portion 165 are exposed on the upper and outer surfaces of the terminal support wall 112a. The surface of the lower connection portion 165 functions as a contact portion 165a and contacts the first terminal 61 provided on the first connector 1. The tail portion 162 extends outward in the width direction from the terminal support wall 112a of the second housing 111 and is connected to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace on the second substrate by soldering or the like. The tail portion 162 is positioned to overlap with the tail portion 151b of the inner wall 151 when viewed from the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the second connector 101. The conductive trace may be a power line supplying power, but is typically a signal line. Furthermore, this explanation assumes that the signal line does not transmit high-frequency signals, but rather signals of normal frequencies (for example, frequencies below 10 GHz) that are lower in frequency than high-frequency signals.

[0071] Furthermore, the second terminal 161 does not necessarily have to be integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding; it may also be attached to the second housing 111 by press-fitting or the like. However, for the sake of explanation, the case in which it is integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding will be described here.

[0072] The second high-frequency terminal 171 is a component integrally formed by punching, bending, or other processing on a conductive metal plate, and comprises a retained portion 173, a tail portion 172 which serves as a substrate connection portion connected to the lower end of the retained portion 173, and an upper connection portion 175 which is connected to the upper end of the retained portion 173.

[0073] The retained portion 173 extends in the vertical direction and is the part that is press-fitted into and held within the second high-frequency terminal housing groove 116a. As described above, the second high-frequency terminal support portions 116 are arranged so that the openings of their respective second high-frequency terminal housing grooves 116a face in opposite directions, so the second high-frequency terminals 171, with the retained portion 173 held within the second high-frequency terminal housing groove 116a, also face opposite directions. Note that the second high-frequency terminals 171 are not necessarily attached to the second housing 111 by press-fitting, but may be integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding. However, for the sake of explanation, the case in which the retained portion 173 is press-fitted into and held within the second high-frequency terminal housing groove 116a will be described here.

[0074] Furthermore, the tail portion 172 is bent and connected to the retained portion 173, extending in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), that is, toward the center of the width direction of the second connector 101, and is connected to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace on the second substrate by soldering or the like. The conductive trace is a signal line, and is typically described as transmitting a high-frequency signal with a high frequency (for example, a frequency of 10 GHz or higher), such as an RF signal.

[0075] Furthermore, the upper connecting portion 175 is curved in a roughly S-shape when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101, and the portion that curves outward toward the center in the width direction of the second connector 101 functions as a contact portion 175a. This contact portion 175a is the portion that contacts the first high-frequency terminal 71 provided on the first connector 1.

[0076] The second high-frequency terminal 171 is press-fitted from the mounting surface 101b side into the second high-frequency terminal housing groove 116a of the second high-frequency terminal support portion 116 located at the protruding end portion 122, and the retained portion 173 is held from both sides by the inner sides of the second high-frequency terminal housing groove 116a, thereby fixing it to the second housing 111. In this state, that is, with the second high-frequency terminal 171 loaded into the second housing 111, the contact portions 175a of the pair of second high-frequency terminals 171 face in opposite directions.

[0077] In the example shown in the figure, the second high-frequency terminal 171 is formed to have the same dimensions and shape as the first high-frequency terminal 71. Therefore, the first high-frequency terminal 71 can be used as the second high-frequency terminal 171.

[0078] The second connector 101 is then mounted on the surface of the second substrate by applying a second solder sheet (not shown) as a solder sheet to the mounting surface 101b side of the second connector 101, and by heating and melting the second solder sheet using a heating furnace or the like, it is fixed and mounted on the surface of the second substrate. The means for connecting the second shield 150, the second terminal 161, the second high-frequency terminal 171, etc. to the connection pads of the second substrate are not necessarily limited to soldering, and for example, conductive adhesive may be used, or even if soldering is used, it may be by applying solder paste, transferring solder paste, dipping, jet soldering, etc. instead of applying a solder sheet, but here, for the sake of explanation, the case in which a second solder sheet is used will be described.

[0079] The second solder sheet includes a pair of elongated strip-shaped long side portions extending linearly and continuously in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101, a plurality of elongated strip-shaped short side portions extending linearly and continuously in the width direction of the second connector 101, and a plurality of rectangular short portions whose long side extends in the width direction of the second connector 101 and whose short side extends in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101. It is desirable that both ends of each short side portion are connected to the long side portions. Furthermore, the long side portions and short side portions do not necessarily have to extend continuously and may be intermittent, but here they will be described as extending continuously.

[0080] The pair of long sides are attached to the lower surface of the flange portion 154 corresponding to the long side portion 150a of the second shield 150, the pair of short sides are attached to the lower surface of the flange portion 154 corresponding to the short side portion 150b of the second shield 150, and the other pair of short sides are attached to the lower surface of the tail portion 151b of the inner wall 151. In addition, each short portion is attached to the lower surface of the tail portion 162 of each second terminal 161 and the lower surface of the tail portion 172 of each second high-frequency terminal 171, respectively.

[0081] When the second solder sheet applied in this manner is heated and melted, and the second connector 101 is mounted on the surface of the second substrate, the curved portion 152a and flange portion 154, which are continuously connected around the entire circumference of the second shield 150, are connected to the connection pads on the surface of the second substrate without any gaps to the lower end of the outer wall 152, which is continuous around the entire circumference. Therefore, the strength of the second shield 150 connected to the connection pads on the surface of the second substrate becomes high, and consequently, the overall strength of the second connector 101, whose outer circumference is surrounded by the second shield 150, becomes high. Furthermore, the electromagnetic shielding effect exerted by the second shield 150, which is connected to the connection pads on the surface of the second substrate without any gaps, becomes very high, and the second connector 101, whose outer circumference is surrounded by the second shield 150, is electromagnetically shielded very effectively. In particular, because the lower surface of the flange portion 154 is highly smooth, the strength of the second shield 150 connected to the connection pad on the surface of the second substrate can be made extremely high, and since no gap is created between it and the connection pad on the surface of the second substrate, the electromagnetic shielding effect can also be made extremely high.

[0082] Furthermore, each of the protruding ends 122 at both longitudinal ends of the second connector 101 is covered by the outer wall 152 of the second shield 150 on the outer wall surface 122a facing outward in the longitudinal direction and on both sides in the width direction of the second connector 101, the upper surface 122b facing the mating surface 101a of the second connector 101 is covered by the upper wall 153 of the second shield 150, and the inner wall surface 122c facing inward in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101 is covered by the inner wall 151 of the second shield 150, so that the entire perimeter is shielded. As a result, the second high-frequency terminal 171, which is supported by the second high-frequency terminal support portion 116 formed on the protruding end 122, is very effectively electromagnetically shielded.

[0083] Thus, because the second connector 101 has high strength and high electromagnetic shielding effect, it can transmit high-frequency signals even when miniaturized and low-profile. For example, even if the dimensions of the second connector 101 in the longitudinal, width, and height directions are set to 2.9 mm or less, 1.9 mm or less, and 0.6 mm or less, the second high-frequency terminal 171 can transmit high-frequency signals of about 60 GHz.

[0084] Next, the operation of mating the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 of the above configuration will be described.

[0085] Figure 12 is a plan view of the first and second connectors in the mated state in the first embodiment, and Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the first and second connectors in the mated state in the first embodiment. In Figure 13, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the CC arrow in Figure 12, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the DD arrow in Figure 12, and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the EE arrow in Figure 12.

[0086] Here, the first connector 1 is surface-mounted on the first substrate by soldering the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61, the tail portion 72 of the first high-frequency terminal 71, the tail portion 57e of the shield plate 56, and the curved portion 52a and flange portion 54 that are continuously connected around the entire circumference to the lower end of the outer wall 52 that is continuous around the entire circumference of the first shield 50 to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace of the first substrate (not shown). Furthermore, the conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 72 of the first high-frequency terminal 71 is connected is a signal line that transmits high-frequency signals, like an antenna wire connected to an antenna. The conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 57e of the shield plate 56 and the curved portion 52a and flange portion 54 of the first shield 50 are connected is a ground line. The conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61 is connected is a signal line that transmits signals of a lower frequency than the high-frequency signal.

[0087] Similarly, the second connector 101 is surface-mounted on the second substrate by soldering the tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161, the tail portion 172 of the second high-frequency terminal 171, the tail portion 151b of the inner wall 151 of the second shield 150, and the curved portion 152a and flange portion 154 that are continuously connected around the entire circumference to the lower end of the outer wall 152 that is continuous around the entire circumference of the second shield 150, to connection pads connected to conductive traces of the second substrate (not shown). Furthermore, the conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 172 of the second high-frequency terminal 171 is connected is a signal line that transmits high-frequency signals, like an antenna wire connected to an antenna; the conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 151b of the inner wall 151 of the second shield 150 and the curved portion 152a and flange portion 154 of the second shield 150 are connected is a ground line; and the conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161 is connected is a signal line that transmits signals at a lower frequency than the high-frequency signals.

[0088] First, the operator positions the mating surface 1a of the first connector 1 and the mating surface 101a of the second connector 101 facing each other, as shown in Figure 1. When the position of the first protrusion 13 of the first connector 1 aligns with the position of the second recess 113 of the second connector 101, and the position of the protruding end 122 of the second connector 101 aligns with the position of the corresponding mating recess 12b of the first connector 1, the alignment of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is completed.

[0089] In this state, when the first connector 1 and / or the second connector 101 are moved toward the mating side, i.e., in the mating direction, the second shield 150 of the second connector 101 is inserted into the housing portion 50d of the first shield 50 of the first connector 1, the first protrusion 13 of the first connector 1 is inserted into the second recess 113 of the second connector 101, and the protruding end 122 of the second connector 101 is inserted into the mating recess 12b of the first connector 1. Note that the mating surface 1a of the first connector 1 has a connecting portion 53 of the first shield 50 surrounding it, and the mating surface 101a of the second connector 101 has an outer wall 152 and an upper wall 153 of the second shield 150, so that even if the mating surface 1a of the first connector 1 and the mating surface 101a of the second connector 101 come into contact during mating, they will not be damaged or broken. As a result, as shown in Figure 12, once the mating of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is complete, the first terminal 61 and the second terminal 161 become electrically connected, and the first high-frequency terminal 71 and the second high-frequency terminal 171 become electrically connected.

[0090] Specifically, the second protrusion 112 of the second housing 111 is inserted into the inner groove 12a of the first housing 11, and as shown in Figure 13(b), the contact portion 65a of the first terminal 61, which protrudes into the inner groove 12a from the inner surface of the first protrusion 13, contacts the contact portion 165a of the second terminal 161, which is exposed on the outer surface of the terminal support wall 112a of the second protrusion 112. At this time, the contact portion 65a of the first terminal 61 is elastically displaceable in the width direction of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 because the curved upper connecting portion 65 itself is elastically deformable. In addition, the contact portion 165a of the second terminal 161 is elastically displaceable toward the center in the width direction of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 because the distance between the pair of terminal support walls 112a, which are integrated with the lower connecting portion 165, is elastically contractible due to the presence of the central slit 112b formed between them. As a result, the contact portions 65a of the first terminal 61 and the second terminal 161, which are corresponding to each other, maintain contact and do not separate even when subjected to shock or vibration, thus maintaining a stable conductive state. Furthermore, the first terminal 61 and the second terminal 161, which are corresponding to each other, are in a so-called single-contact state, and no unintended stubs or divided circuits are formed in the signal transmission line from the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61 to the tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161. Therefore, the impedance of the transmission line is stable, and good signal-to-interference (SI) characteristics can be obtained.

[0091] Furthermore, the first high-frequency terminal support portion 16 located within the mating recess 12b is inserted into the first high-frequency terminal housing recess 116c of the protruding end portion 122, and as shown in Figure 13(c), the contact portion 75a of the first high-frequency terminal 71 and the contact portion 175a of the second high-frequency terminal 171 come into contact. At this time, the contact portions 75a and 175a of the first high-frequency terminal 71 and the second high-frequency terminal 171 are elastically deformable, so the curved upper connecting portions 75 and 175 themselves can be elastically displaced in the width direction of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101. As a result, the contact portions 75a of the first high-frequency terminal 71 and the contact portion 175a of the second high-frequency terminal 171, which correspond to each other, maintain contact and do not separate even when subjected to shock or vibration, thus maintaining a stable conductive state. Furthermore, the corresponding first high-frequency terminal 71 and second high-frequency terminal 171 are in contact at only one point, resulting in a so-called single-contact state. This prevents the formation of unintended stubs or divided circuits in the signal transmission line from the tail portion 72 of the first high-frequency terminal 71 to the tail portion 172 of the second high-frequency terminal 171. Consequently, the impedance of the transmission line is stable, and good SI characteristics can be obtained.

[0092] Furthermore, when the protruding end 122 is inserted into the fitting recess 12b, the contact portion 58c of the central portion 58 of the shield plate 56 protrudes into the fitting recess 12b and, as shown in Figure 13(a), contacts the inner wall 151 of the second shield 150 that covers the inner wall surface 122c of the protruding end 122. The central portion 58 includes one curved portion 58b and two inclined leg portions 58a that branch off from the lower end of the curved portion 58b, with the outer surface of the curved portion 58b being the contact portion 58c. Therefore, the distance from the contact portion 58c, which functions as a spring, to the lower end of the inclined leg portions 58a, i.e., the spring length, is long, so the contact portion 58c can be flexibly elastically displaced in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101. As a result, the contact portion 58c of the shield plate 56 and the inner wall 151 of the second shield 150 maintain contact and do not separate even when subjected to shock or vibration, thus maintaining a stable equipotential state and exhibiting a high shielding effect.

[0093] Furthermore, because the spring length of the central portion 58 is long, even if the contact portion 58c is displaced, no force is applied to the tail portion 57e, so the connection between the tail portion 57e and the connecting pad is reliably maintained. Therefore, the shielding effect of the shield plate 56 is not reduced. Although there is a narrow gap between the outer portion 57a ​​of the shield plate 56 and the inner wall 51 of the first shield 50, when the second shield 150 is inserted into the housing portion 50d of the first shield 50, the outer wall 152 of the long side portion 150a of the second shield 150 enters the gap, so the gap becomes substantially narrower, and the electromagnetic shielding effect exhibited by the shield plate 56 is improved.

[0094] In this way, the first high-frequency terminal 71 and the second high-frequency terminal 171, which are in contact with each other, are continuously surrounded all around by the inner wall 51, outer wall 52 and shield plate 56 of the first shield 50 and the inner wall 151 and outer wall 152 of the second shield 150, and are double-surrounded, thus providing extremely effective shielding. Therefore, the impedance of the signal transmission line from the tail portion 72 of the first high-frequency terminal 71 to the tail portion 172 of the second high-frequency terminal 171 is stabilized, and good SI characteristics can be obtained.

[0095] Furthermore, when the second shield 150 of the second connector 101 is inserted into the housing portion 50d of the first shield 50 of the first connector 1, the outer surface of the outer wall 152 of the second shield 150 comes into contact with or close to the inner surface of the inner wall 51 of the first shield 50, and as shown in Figures 13(a) and (b), the engaging projection 152c formed on the outer wall 152 of the second shield 150 and the engaging recess 51c formed on the inner wall 51 of the first shield 50 engage. Note that the straight portion 51a of the inner wall 51 in which the engaging recess 51c is formed is separated from the rest of the wall by the slit portions 53a at both ends and has relative flexibility, so the engagement state with the engaging projection 152c of the outer wall 152 of the second shield 150 can be reliably maintained. As a result, the first shield 50 and the second shield 150 are locked together, preventing the mating state between the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 from being released. Furthermore, since the first shield 50 and the second shield 150 are in contact with each other and conduct electricity, resulting in equipotential, the electromagnetic shielding performance is improved.

[0096] Furthermore, before the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated, the curved end 51d of the first shield 50 is connected to the connection end 18c of the bottom plate 18 formed on the first housing 11. However, during mating, the inner wall 51 of the first shield 50 is pressed outward by the outer wall 152 of the second shield 150, so that the curved end 51d formed on the inner wall 51 is separated from the connection end 18c of the bottom plate 18. By separating, the inner wall 51 of the first shield 50 follows the second shield 150, and a stable contact state can be maintained.

[0097] Thus, in this embodiment, the connector pair consists of a first connector 1 comprising a first housing 11, a first terminal 61 attached to the first housing 11, a first high-frequency terminal 71 attached to the first housing 11, and a first shield 50 surrounding the entire periphery of the first housing 11, and a second connector 101 comprising a second housing 111, a second terminal 161 attached to the second housing 111, a second high-frequency terminal 171 attached to the second housing 111, and a second shield 150 surrounding the entire periphery of the second housing 111, and mating with the first connector 1. The first connector 1 is attached to the first housing 11 and further comprises a shield plate 56 extending in the width direction of the first connector 1 between the first terminal 61 and the first high-frequency terminal 71. The second connector 101 is attached to the second housing 111 and further comprises an inner wall 151 extending in the width direction of the second connector 101 between the second terminal 161 and the second high-frequency terminal 171. When the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated together, the first shield 50 and the second shield 150 come into contact and become electrically conductive, and the shield plate 56 and the inner wall 151 come into contact and become electrically conductive.

[0098] As a result, the first terminal 61 and the first high-frequency terminal 71, and the second terminal 161 and the second high-frequency terminal 171 can be attached to the small, low-profile first connector 1 and second connector 101 mounted on the first and second substrates, respectively. This allows for high strength and shielding effect while maintaining a small, low profile, thereby improving reliability.

[0099] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first connector 1 comprises a first housing 11, a first terminal 61 attached to the first housing 11, a first high-frequency terminal 71 attached to the first housing 11, and a first shield 50 surrounding the entire periphery of the first housing 11, and is mated with the second connector 101, and further comprises a shield plate 56 attached to the first housing 11 and extending in the width direction of the first connector 1 between the first terminal 61 and the first high-frequency terminal 71, the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61 is visible from the mating surface 1a side of the first connector 1, and the tail portion 57e of the shield plate 56 is not visible from the mating surface 1a side.

[0100] Thus, the first connector 1 further includes a shielding plate 56 attached to the first housing 11, and the shielding plate 56 extends in the width direction of the first connector 1 between the first terminal 61 and the first high-frequency terminal 71, so that the first high-frequency terminal 71 can be effectively shielded.

[0101] Furthermore, while the tail portion 57e of the shield plate 56 is not visible from the mating surface 1a side, the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61 is visible from the mating surface 1a side of the first connector 1. In the first place, the tail portion 57e of the shield plate 56 is the part that is connected to a connection pad connected to the ground line together with the first shield 50, so even if the connecting member such as solder for connecting the tail portion 57e to the connection pad comes into contact with or fuses with the connecting member for connecting the adjacent first shield 50 to the connection pad, no problem occurs. On the other hand, for example, the tail portions 62 of the first terminals 61, which are arranged adjacent to each other at a narrow pitch of 0.35 [mm], are the parts that are connected to connection pads connected to signal lines that transmit separate signals, so if the connecting member such as solder for connecting the tail portion 62 to the connection pad comes into contact with or fuses with the connecting member for connecting the tail portion 62 of another adjacent first terminal 61, a serious problem will occur. Therefore, by making the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61 visible from the mating surface 1a side of the first connector 1, it becomes possible to check whether the connecting member such as solder for connecting the tail portion 62 is in contact with or fused with the connecting member for connecting the tail portion 62 of other adjacent first terminals 61, thereby preventing the occurrence of situations that could cause serious problems.

[0102] Furthermore, the first shield 50 includes an outer wall 52, an inner wall 51 that is substantially parallel to the outer wall 52 on the inside of the outer wall 52, a connecting portion 53 that connects the upper end of the outer wall 52 and the upper end of the inner wall 51, an outwardly extending flange portion 54 connected to the lower end of the outer wall 52, and a housing portion 50d surrounded by the inner wall 51 that houses the second connector 101. The inner wall 51 includes a straight portion 51a and a curved portion 51b, and the straight portion 51a is deformable in a direction that moves closer to or further away from the outer wall 52. Therefore, the first shield 50 can reliably maintain contact between the second connector 101 and the second shield 150 and will not be damaged or broken.

[0103] Furthermore, the outer wall 52 and flange portion 54 are continuous around the entire circumference of the first housing 11. Therefore, the strength and shielding effect of the first shield 50 are improved, and consequently, the strength and shielding effect of the first connector 1 are also improved.

[0104] Furthermore, the straight section 51a and the curved section 51b of the inner wall 51 are separated by the slit section 53a, and the first housing 11 is connected to the straight section 51a. Therefore, external forces acting on the first shield 50 are prevented from being transmitted to the first housing 11, and the first housing 11 is not damaged or broken.

[0105] In this embodiment, the second connector 101 comprises a second housing 111, a second terminal 161 attached to the second housing 111, a second high-frequency terminal 171 attached to the second housing 111, and a second shield 150 surrounding the entire periphery of the second housing 111, and is designed to mate with the first connector 1. It further comprises an inner wall 151 attached to the second housing 111, extending in the width direction of the second connector 101 between the second terminal 161 and the second high-frequency terminal 171, and the tail portion 151b of the inner wall 151 is positioned to overlap with the tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161 when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101.

[0106] Thus, the second connector 101 further comprises an inner wall 151 attached to the second housing 111, and the inner wall 151 extends in the width direction of the second connector 101 between the second terminal 161 and the second high-frequency terminal 171, thereby effectively shielding the second high-frequency terminal 171.

[0107] Furthermore, since the tail portion 151b of the inner wall 151 is positioned to overlap with the tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161 when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101, the entire signal transmission path from the second terminal 161 to the signal line connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 162 is connected is shielded from the second high-frequency terminal 171 by the entire ground potential transmission path from the inner wall 151 to the ground line connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 151b is connected. Thus, the second high-frequency terminal 171 can be effectively shielded from the influence of the signal transmitted by the second terminal 161.

[0108] Furthermore, the second shield 150 includes an outer wall 152, an upper wall 153, and an outwardly extending flange portion 154 connected to the lower end of the outer wall 152. The second housing 111 includes protruding ends 122 disposed at both longitudinal ends of the second connector 101, and the upper wall 153 covers at least a portion of the upper surface 122b of the protruding ends 122. Thus, external forces acting on the second shield 150 are prevented from being transmitted to the second housing 111, and the second housing 111 is not damaged or broken.

[0109] Furthermore, the outer wall 152 and flange portion 154 are continuous around the entire perimeter of the second housing 111. Therefore, the strength and shielding effect of the second shield 150 are improved, and consequently, the strength and shielding effect of the second connector 101 are also improved.

[0110] Furthermore, the inner wall 151 is connected to the upper wall 153, the second high-frequency terminal 171 is attached to the protruding end 122, and the entire circumference of the second high-frequency terminal 171 is surrounded by the outer wall 152 and the inner wall 151. Therefore, the second high-frequency terminal 171 can be effectively shielded.

[0111] Next, a second embodiment will be described. Components having the same structure as those in the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted. Similarly, the same operation and effects as those in the first embodiment will also be omitted from the description.

[0112] Figure 14 is a perspective view of the first connector and the second connector before mating in the second embodiment, Figure 15 is an exploded view of the first connector in the second embodiment, Figure 16 is a two-view drawing of the first connector in the second embodiment, Figure 17 is a perspective view of the first connector as seen by the FF arrow in the second embodiment, Figure 18 is a bottom view of the first connector in the second embodiment, and Figure 19 is a perspective view showing the solder sheets applied to each board connection portion of the first connector in the second embodiment. Note that in Figure 16, (a) is a top view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the FF arrow portion in (a).

[0113] In the first embodiment described above, the first terminal 61 of the first connector 1 is not integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding, but rather its retained portion 63 is press-fitted into and held in the first terminal housing cavity 15 formed in the first protrusion 13. However, in this embodiment, the first terminal 61 of the first connector 1 is integrated with the first protrusion 13 of the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding.

[0114] Accordingly, the shape of the first housing 11 has also been partially modified. In the first embodiment, the portion of the bottom plate 18 between the first protrusions 13 was a thicker portion 18b than other portions, but in this embodiment, the portion of the bottom plate 18 between the first protrusions 13 is an intermediate protrusion 18d. The intermediate protrusion 18d is slightly higher than the first protrusions 13, its upper surface is flush with the upper surface of the first high-frequency terminal support portion 16, and is connected to the upper surface of the first high-frequency terminal support portion 16. Furthermore, a plurality of first terminal housing cavities 15 are formed on both sides of the intermediate protrusion 18d, arranged in the longitudinal direction, and a portion of each first terminal 61 is housed in each first terminal housing cavity 15. The internal recessed groove portion 12a is formed between both sides of the intermediate protrusion 18d and each first protrusion 13. In this embodiment as well, multiple first terminals 61 are arranged along each first protrusion 13, forming a pair of parallel terminal groups.

[0115] Furthermore, the first terminal 61 in this embodiment is a member integrally formed by punching, bending, and other processing on a conductive metal plate, similar to the first terminal 61 in the first embodiment, and comprises a retained portion 63, a tail portion 62 as a substrate connection portion connected to the lower end of the retained portion 63, an upper connection portion 65 connected to the upper end of the retained portion 63, and a lower connection portion 64 connected to the lower end of the upper connection portion 65, with a contact portion 65a formed near the lower end of the upper connection portion 65, and further comprises an inner connection portion 66 connected to the tip of the lower connection portion 64. The inner connection portion 66 is bent and connected to the lower connection portion 64, extends upward (in the positive Z-axis direction), and near its upper end, a curved contact portion 66a is formed so as to bulge outward in the width direction of the first connector 1. The contact portion 66a is the part that contacts the second terminal 161 provided on the second connector 101. In other words, the first terminal 61 in this embodiment is configured to have a contact portion 65a of the upper connecting portion 65 and a contact portion 66a of the inner connecting portion 66 that are opposite to each other, and to make two-point contact with the second terminal 161.

[0116] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the shield plate 56 provided by the first connector 1 in the first embodiment is omitted. Accordingly, the shield plate housing slit 13b formed in the first protrusion 13 and the shield plate housing opening 18a formed in the bottom plate 18 in the first embodiment are also omitted.

[0117] Instead, in this embodiment, the first terminals 61 located at both ends in the longitudinal direction of each terminal group are connected to the ground line and function as the first ground terminal 61G, which is the first inner shield. In the example shown in the figure, five first terminals 61 are arranged along each first protrusion 13 to form each terminal group. Two first terminals 61 located at both ends in the longitudinal direction of each terminal group function as the first ground terminal 61G, and three first terminals 61 located closer to the longitudinal center of each terminal group transmit signals of normal frequency. The tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61 that transmits signals of normal frequency is visible when viewed from the mating direction of the first connector 1, that is, when viewed from the mating surface 1a side, whereas the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61 that functions as the first ground terminal 61G is not visible when viewed from the mating direction of the first connector 1. More specifically, as shown in Figure 17, in the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61 which functions as the first ground terminal 61G, the lower surface is exposed, but the upper surface is covered by the bottom plate 18, which is part of the first housing 11, and is not visible when viewed from the mating surface 1a side.

[0118] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a first solder sheet 91, as shown in Figure 19, is used as a solder sheet for connecting the first shield 50, the first terminal 61, the first high-frequency terminal 71, etc., to the connection pads of the first substrate. The first solder sheet 91 includes a pair of elongated strip-shaped long-side sheets 91a extending linearly and continuously in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, two pairs of elongated strip-shaped short-side sheets 91b extending linearly and continuously in the width direction of the first connector 1, and a plurality of rectangular short sheets 91c, the long side of which extends in the width direction of the first connector 1 and the short side of which extends in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1. Each short-side sheet 91b is connected at both ends to the long-side sheet 91a. The long-side sheets 91a and short-side sheets 91b do not necessarily have to extend continuously, and may be intermittent, but here they will be described as extending continuously.

[0119] A pair of long-side sheets 91a are attached to the lower surface of the flange portion 54 corresponding to the long side portion 50a of the first shield 50, a pair of short-side sheets 91b are attached to the lower surface of the flange portion 54 corresponding to the short side portion 50b of the first shield 50, and another pair of short-side sheets 91b are attached to the lower surface of the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61 which functions as the first ground terminal 61G. In addition, each short-length sheet 91c is attached to the lower surface of the tail portion 62 of the other first terminals 61 and the lower surface of the tail portion 72 of each first high-frequency terminal 71, respectively.

[0120] When the first solder sheet 91 applied in this manner is heated and melted, and the first connector 1 is mounted on the surface of the first substrate, the curved portion 52a and flange portion 54, which are continuously connected around the entire circumference to the lower end of the outer wall 52 that is continuous around the entire circumference of the first shield 50, are connected to the connection pads on the surface of the first substrate without any gaps. The tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61, which functions as the first ground terminal 61G, is also continuously connected to the connection pads on the surface of the first substrate without any gaps. Therefore, although the first terminal 61, which functions as the first ground terminal 61G, is not a continuous plate-like member when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1 and has multiple gaps, and thus has a lower electromagnetic shielding effect compared to the long side portion 50a and short side portion 50b of the first shield 50, it is continuously connected to the connection pads on the surface of the first substrate without any gaps by soldering, so it can exert a practically sufficient electromagnetic shielding effect.

[0121] Note that the configuration of the other parts of the first connector 1 in this embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment described above, so its description will be omitted.

[0122] Next, the configuration of the second connector 101 will be described.

[0123] Figure 20 is a perspective view of the second connector in the second embodiment, Figure 21 is an exploded view of the second connector in the second embodiment, Figure 22 is a perspective view of the second shield in the second embodiment, Figure 23 is a two-view drawing of the second connector in the second embodiment, Figure 24 is a perspective view of the second connector in the second embodiment showing the view along the GG arrow, Figure 25 is a bottom view of the second connector in the second embodiment, and Figure 26 is a perspective view showing the solder sheets applied to each board connection portion of the second connector in the second embodiment. In Figure 23, (a) is a top view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the view along the GG arrow in (a).

[0124] As described above, the first terminal 61 in this embodiment is configured to have a contact portion 65a of the upper connecting portion 65 and a contact portion 66a of the inner connecting portion 66 that face each other, and to make two-point contact with the second terminal 161. Therefore, the second terminal 161 in this embodiment is also configured to make two-point contact with the first terminal 61.

[0125] Specifically, the second terminal 161 in this embodiment is a component integrally formed by punching, bending, or other processing of a conductive metal plate, similar to the second terminal 161 in the first embodiment, and is integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding. The second terminal 161, similar to the second terminal 161 in the first embodiment, comprises a retained portion 163, a tail portion 162 as a substrate connection portion connected to one end of the retained portion 163, a lower connection portion 165 connected to the other end of the retained portion 163 and extending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and an upper connection portion 164 connected to the upper end of the lower connection portion 165. The surface of the lower connection portion 165 functions as a contact portion 165a, and further comprises an inner connection portion 166 connected to the lower end of the upper connection portion 164 and facing the lower connection portion 165. The inner connection portion 166 extends vertically and is bent and connected to its lower end, and includes an inner tail portion 166b as a substrate connection portion that extends inward in the width direction of the second connector 101. The surface of the inner connection portion 166 functions as a contact portion 166a that contacts the first terminal 61. Thus, in this embodiment, the second terminal 161 has a contact portion 165a of the lower connection portion 165 and a contact portion 166a of the inner connection portion 166, which are facing in opposite directions, and is configured to make two-point contact with the first terminal 61.

[0126] Furthermore, the shape of the second housing 111 has also been partially modified. In the first embodiment, the central slit 112b of the second protrusion 112 was narrow, but in this embodiment, the width of the central slit 112b has been increased, and the distance between the terminal support walls 112a on both the left and right sides of the central slit 112b has been increased. In the first embodiment, the second terminals 161 were disposed only on the outer surfaces of each terminal support wall 112a, but in this embodiment, they are disposed on both the outer and inner surfaces of each terminal support wall 112a. Specifically, in each second terminal 161, the contact portion 165a, which is the surface of the lower connecting portion 165, is exposed on the outer surface of each terminal support wall 112a, and the contact portion 166a, which is the surface of the inner connecting portion 166, is exposed within the central slit 112b on the inner surface of each terminal support wall 112a.

[0127] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inner wall 151 included in the second shield 150 of the second connector 101 in the first embodiment is omitted. Accordingly, the first high-frequency terminal housing opening 153a formed in the upper wall 153 of the second shield 150 is a substantially rectangular opening in which three sides are defined by the upper wall 153, but one side facing inward in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101 is open.

[0128] Instead, in this embodiment, the second terminals 161 located at both ends in the longitudinal direction of each terminal group are connected to the ground line and function as second ground terminals 161G as a second inner shield. In the example shown in the figure, five second terminals 161 are arranged along each terminal support wall 112a to form each terminal group. Two second terminals 161 located at both ends in the longitudinal direction of each terminal group function as second ground terminals 161G, while three second terminals 161 located closer to the longitudinal center of each terminal group transmit signals of normal frequencies.

[0129] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a second solder sheet 191, as shown in Figure 26, is used as a solder sheet for connecting the second shield 150, the second terminal 161, the second high-frequency terminal 171, etc., to the connection pads of the second substrate. The second solder sheet 191 includes a pair of elongated strip-shaped long-side sheets 191a that extend linearly and continuously in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101, two pairs of elongated strip-shaped short-side sheets 191b that extend linearly and continuously in the width direction of the second connector 101, and a plurality of rectangular short sheets 191c whose long sides extend in the width direction of the second connector 101 and whose short sides extend in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101. Each short-side sheet 191b is connected at both ends to the long-side sheets 191a. Furthermore, the long side sheet 191a and the short side sheet 191b do not necessarily have to extend continuously; they may be intermittent. However, in this explanation, they will be described as extending continuously.

[0130] A pair of long-side sheets 191a are attached to the underside of the flange portion 154 corresponding to the long side portion 150a of the second shield 150, a pair of short-side sheets 191b are attached to the underside of the flange portion 154 corresponding to the short side portion 150b of the second shield 150, and another pair of short-side sheets 191b are attached to the underside of the tail portion 162 and inner tail portion 166b of the second terminal 161 which functions as the second ground terminal 161G. In addition, each short-length sheet 191c is attached to the underside of the tail portion 162 of the other second terminal 161 and the underside of the tail portion 172 of each second high-frequency terminal 171, respectively.

[0131] When the second solder sheet 191 applied in this manner is heated and melted, the second connector 101 is mounted on the surface of the second substrate. At this point, the curved portion 152a and flange portion 154, which are continuously connected around the entire circumference to the lower end of the outer wall 152 that is continuous around the entire circumference of the second shield 150, are connected to the connection pads on the surface of the second substrate without any gaps. The tail portion 162 and inner tail portion 166b of the second terminal 161, which functions as the second ground terminal 161G, are also continuously connected to the connection pads on the surface of the second substrate without any gaps. Therefore, the second terminal 161, which functions as the second ground terminal 161G, is not a continuous plate-like member when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101, but has multiple gaps. Although its electromagnetic shielding effect is lower compared to the long side portion 150a and short side portion 150b of the second shield 150, it is continuously connected without gaps to the connection pads on the surface of the second substrate by soldering, so it can exert a practically sufficient electromagnetic shielding effect.

[0132] Note that the configuration of the second connector 101 in this embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment, so its description will be omitted.

[0133] Next, the operation of mating the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 of the above configuration will be described.

[0134] Figure 27 is a four-view drawing showing the mated state of the first connector and the second connector in the second embodiment. In the figure, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line HH in (a), (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II in (a), and (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line JJ in (a).

[0135] In this embodiment, as shown in the figure, once the mating of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is complete, the first terminal 61 and the second terminal 161 become electrically connected, and the first high-frequency terminal 71 and the second high-frequency terminal 171 become electrically connected. Specifically, the terminal support walls 112a on both the left and right sides of the second protrusion 112 of the second housing 111 are inserted into the inner recessed grooves 12a on both the left and right sides of the first housing 11, the contact portion 65a of the first terminal 61 protruding into the inner recessed groove 12a from the inner surface of the first protrusion 13 contacts the contact portion 165a of the second terminal 161 exposed on the outer surface of the terminal support wall 112a of the second protrusion 112, and the contact portions 66a that are curved to bulge outward in the width direction of the first connector 1 from both sides of the intermediate protrusion 18d contact the contact portion 166a of the second terminal 161 exposed on the inner surface of the terminal support wall 112a of the second protrusion 112.

[0136] In this case, the lower connection portion 64 of the first terminal 61 and its vicinity have a roughly U-shaped form when viewed from the first connector 1 and are elastically deformable, so the distance between the opposing contact portions 65a and 66a can be elastically expanded. As a result, the distance between the contact portions 65a and 66a is elastically widened by the second terminal 161 inserted between them, and in reaction, the second terminal 161 is elastically sandwiched from both sides by the contact portions 65a and 66a. As a result, the corresponding contact portions 65a of the first terminal 61 and 165a of the second terminal 161, as well as the contact portions 66a of the first terminal 61 and 166a of the second terminal 161, maintain contact and do not separate even when subjected to shock or vibration, thus maintaining a stable conductive state. Furthermore, the corresponding first terminal 61 and second terminal 161 are in contact at two points, a so-called two-point contact state. Even if contact at one point is lost, contact at the other point is maintained, thus ensuring a stable contact state.

[0137] Furthermore, when the protruding end 122 is inserted into the mating recess 12b, the first high-frequency terminal support portion 16 located within the mating recess 12b is inserted into the first high-frequency terminal housing recess 116c of the protruding end 122, causing the contact portion 75a of the first high-frequency terminal 71 and the contact portion 175a of the second high-frequency terminal 171 to come into contact, and the first ground terminal 61G located adjacent to the mating recess 12b and the second ground terminal 161G located adjacent to the protruding end 122 to come into contact with each other and become electrically connected. Therefore, the first high-frequency terminal 71 and the second high-frequency terminal 171, which are in contact with each other, are continuously surrounded all around by the inner wall 51, outer wall 52 and first ground terminal 61G of the first shield 50, and the outer wall 152 and second ground terminal 161G of the second shield 150, and are double-surrounded, thus providing extremely effective shielding. Therefore, the impedance of the signal transmission line from the tail portion 72 of the first high-frequency terminal 71 to the tail portion 172 of the second high-frequency terminal 171 is stabilized, and good SI characteristics can be obtained.

[0138] As described above, in this embodiment, the upper surface of the tail portion 62 of the first ground terminal 61G is covered by the first housing 11, while the lower surface of the tail portion 62 of the first ground terminal 61G is exposed. In this way, the first ground terminal 61G is positioned so close to the first high-frequency terminal 71 that the upper surface of the tail portion 62 is covered by a part of the first housing 11 such as the bottom plate 18, thus effectively shielding the first high-frequency terminal 71.

[0139] Furthermore, the first ground terminal 61G has the same shape as the first terminal 61. Therefore, the cost of the first ground terminal 61G can be reduced, and consequently, the cost of the first connector 1 can be reduced.

[0140] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second ground terminal 161G has the same shape as the second terminal 161. Therefore, the cost of the second ground terminal 161G can be reduced, and consequently, the cost of the second connector 101 can be reduced.

[0141] The operation for mating the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 in this embodiment, as well as the configuration and effects of other parts of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101, are the same as in the first embodiment described above, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0142] Furthermore, the disclosure herein describes features relating to preferred and exemplary embodiments. Various other embodiments, modifications, and variations within the scope and spirit of the claims attached herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art by reviewing the disclosure herein. For example, the staggered arrangement of terminals does not have to be regular. Nor does the arrangement of terminals have to be the same in the left and right halves. Moreover, the left and right halves do not have to be symmetrical. [Industrial applicability]

[0143] This disclosure can be applied to connectors and connector pairs. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0144] 1. First connector 1a, 101a mating surface 1b, 101b Implementation side 11 Housing 1 12 First recess 12a Inner groove 12b, 812 Fitting recess 12c Outer groove 13. First protrusion 13a Outer recess 13b Shield plate housing slit 15 First terminal housing cavity 16 1st high frequency terminal support part 16a First high-frequency terminal housing groove 16b, 153a First high-frequency terminal housing aperture 18, 118, 818 bottom plate 18a Shield plate housing opening 18b Thick part 18c connection terminal 18d Intermediate protrusion 50 Shield 1 50a, 150a Long side 50b, 150b Short side 50c, 150c corner section 50d Storage area 51, 151 Inner wall 51a Straight section 51b Curved section 51c Engagement recess 51d Curved end 52, 152 Exterior wall 52a, 58b, 152a Curved section 53 Connecting part 53a Slit section 54, 154 Flange section 54a, 154a Notch 56 Shielding plate 57 Lateral part 57a Outer part 57b Inside part 57c Upper part 57d Connection 57e, 62, 72, 151b, 162, 172, 862 Tail section 57f Recessed part to be held 58 Central part 58a Inclined leg 58c, 65a, 66a, 75a, 165a, 166a, 175a, 865 Contact part 61 1st terminal 61G 1st Ground Terminal 63, 73, 163, 173 Retained part 64, 165 Lower connection part 65, 75, 164, 175 Upper connection part 66, 166 Inner connection part 71 1st high frequency terminal 91 First solder sheet 91a, 191a Long side sheet 91b, 191b Short-side sheet 91cm, 191cm short sheet 101 Second connector 111 Second Housing 112 Second protrusion 112a Terminal support wall 112b Central slit 113 Second recess 116 2nd high frequency terminal support part 116a Second high-frequency terminal housing groove 116b Second high-frequency terminal housing aperture 116c First high-frequency terminal housing recess 122 Protruding end 122a Exterior wall surface 122b Top surface 122c Inner wall surface 150 2nd Shield 151a Upper wall connection 152c Engagement protrusion 153 Upper wall 161 2nd terminal 161G Second Ground Terminal 166b Inner tail section 171 2nd high frequency terminal 191 Second solder sheet 811 Housing 813 Convex part 814 Side wall section 818a opening 851 Conductive Shell 851a Board connection section 861 terminal

Claims

1. (a) A first connector comprising a first connector body, a first terminal attached to the first connector body, a first high-frequency terminal attached to the first connector body, and a first shield surrounding the entire periphery of the first connector body, which mates with a second connector, (b) The first shield includes an outer wall, an inner wall substantially parallel to the outer wall on the inside of the outer wall, a connecting portion connecting the upper end of the outer wall and the upper end of the inner wall, an outwardly extending flange portion connected to the lower end of the outer wall, and a housing portion surrounded by the inner wall for housing the second connector, (c) The outer wall and flange portion are continuous around the entire circumference of the first connector body, and the straight portion and curved portion of the inner wall are separated by a slit portion.

2. The first connector according to claim 1, further comprising a shielding plate attached to the first connector body, wherein the shielding plate extends in the width direction of the first connector between the first terminal and the first high-frequency terminal.

3. (a) A second connector comprising a second connector body, a second terminal attached to the second connector body, a second high-frequency terminal attached to the second connector body, and a second shield surrounding the entire periphery of the second connector body, which mates with a first connector, (b) The second shield includes an outer wall, an inner wall, an upper wall connecting the upper end of the outer wall and the upper end of the inner wall, and an outwardly extending flange portion connected to the lower end of the outer wall. (c) The second connector body includes protruding ends disposed at both longitudinal ends of the second connector, the upper wall covers at least a portion of the upper surface of the protruding ends, and the inner wall covers at least a portion of the inner wall surface of the protruding ends that faces inward in the longitudinal direction of the second connector.

4. The second connector according to claim 3, wherein the outer wall and flange portion are continuous around the entire circumference of the second connector body.

5. The second connector according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the protruding end is connected to a part of the outer wall, the inner wall, and the upper wall.

6. The second connector according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the second high-frequency terminal is attached to the protruding end, and the entire circumference of the second high-frequency terminal is surrounded by the outer wall and the inner wall.

7. (a) A first connector comprising a first connector body, a first terminal attached to the first connector body, a first high-frequency terminal attached to the first connector body, and a first shield surrounding the entire periphery of the first connector body, (b) A connector pair comprising a second connector body, a second terminal attached to the second connector body, a second high-frequency terminal attached to the second connector body, and a second shield surrounding the entire periphery of the second connector body, and a second connector that mates with the first connector, (c) The first shield includes an outer wall, an inner wall substantially parallel to the outer wall on the inside of the outer wall, a connecting portion connecting the upper end of the outer wall and the upper end of the inner wall, an outwardly extending flange portion connected to the lower end of the outer wall, and a housing portion surrounded by the inner wall, wherein the inner wall includes a straight portion and a curved portion. (d) The second shield includes an outer wall, an inner wall, an upper wall connecting the upper end of the outer wall and the upper end of the inner wall, and an outwardly extending flange portion connected to the lower end of the outer wall, and is housed in the housing portion of the first shield. (e) A pair of connectors characterized in that the second connector body includes protruding ends disposed at both longitudinal ends of the second connector, the upper wall covers at least a portion of the upper surface of the protruding end, and the inner wall covers at least a portion of the inner wall surface of the protruding end.

8. The connector pair according to claim 7, wherein the first connector further comprises a shield plate attached to the first connector body, the shield plate extending in the width direction of the first connector between the first terminal and the first high-frequency terminal and in contact with the inner wall of the second shield.

Images