Electrical connectors, electrical connector assemblies, units, and unit assemblies

Abstract

To provide an electrical connector, an electrical connector connection, a unit, and a unit connection that can reduce the number of components in multiple connected units.SOLUTION: A first contact portion 22 of a first terminal 20 of an electrical connector 1 can be contacted with a second contact portion 32 of a second terminal 30 of a mating connector 1 by fitting a first fitting portion 11 of the electrical connector 1 from the rear into a second fitting portion 12 of the mating connector 1 located in front of the electrical connector 1, and the second contact portion 32 of the second terminal 30 of the electrical connector 1 can be contacted with the first contact portion 22 of the first terminal 20 of the other mating connector 1 by fitting the first fitting portion 11 of the other mating connector 1 located at the rear of the electrical connector 1 to the second fitting portion 12 of the electrical connector 1 from the rear.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector, an electrical connector assembly in which a plurality of electrical connectors are connected, a unit having an electrical connector, and a unit assembly in which a plurality of units are connected.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a unit type control device in which a plurality of units having the same configuration are connected in one direction (hereinafter referred to as the "front-rear direction"). Each unit is configured by housing a circuit board on which an electrical connector is mounted in a box-shaped housing. The circuit board is provided in a posture in which its surface is perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and a male connector is mounted on one surface (front surface), and a female connector is mounted on the other surface (rear surface). The fitting portion of the male connector is exposed from the front surface of the housing, and the fitting portion of the female connector is exposed from the rear surface of the housing. Since each unit has such a configuration, it is possible to connect a plurality of units by fitting and connecting the male connector of an arbitrary unit to the female connector of another unit from the rear.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, since one male connector and one female connector, that is, two electrical connectors are mounted on one circuit board in each unit, the number of component parts constituting the unit increases accordingly.

[0005] In view of these circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an electrical connector, an electrical connector assembly, a unit, and a unit assembly that can reduce the number of parts in a unit that is connected to multiple other units. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The electrical connector according to the present invention is mounted on a circuit board and can be connected in multiples with the front-to-back direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the circuit board as the connection direction.

[0007] In such an electrical connector, the present invention has two types of terminals arranged parallel to the mounting surface and a housing that holds the two types of terminals, the housing having a first mating portion provided on the front end side and a second mating portion provided on the rear end side, the two types of terminals having a first terminal that forms a first terminal row and a second terminal that forms a second terminal row, the first terminal having a first connecting portion that is connected to the circuit board and a first contact portion that extends in the front-rear direction along the first mating portion in front of the first connecting portion, and the second terminal having a second connecting portion that is connected to the circuit board and the first contact The electrical connector has a second contact portion that extends in the front-rear direction along the second mating portion behind the portion, and is characterized in that when the first mating portion of the electrical connector is fitted from the rear to the second mating portion of a mating connector located in front of the electrical connector, the first contact portion of the electrical connector can contact the second contact portion of the second terminal of the mating connector, and when the first mating portion of another mating connector located behind the electrical connector is fitted from the rear to the second mating portion of the electrical connector, the second contact portion of the electrical connector can contact the first contact portion of the first terminal of the other mating connector.

[0008] In invention (1), two types of terminals, namely a first terminal and a second terminal, are provided on a single electrical connector, and this single electrical connector can be connected to both a mating connector located in front and another mating connector located in rear. Therefore, compared to the conventional method of mounting one electrical connector on each side of a single circuit board, fewer electrical connectors are required, and as a result, the number of components can be reduced.

[0009] (2) In the invention of (1), the first contact portion of the electrical connector may be capable of contacting the second contact portion of the second terminal of the mating connector within the range of the effective mating length, and the second contact portion of the electrical connector may be capable of contacting the first contact portion of the first terminal of the other mating connector within the range of the effective mating length.

[0010] In the invention of (2), as long as the mating depth of any two connected electrical connectors is changed, the contact state between the first contact portion and the second contact portion can be ensured. Therefore, even if the mating depth is changed due to the shape, size, and other specifications of the device on which the electrical connectors are installed, a good electrical connection state between the electrical connectors can be ensured.

[0011] (3) In the invention of (1) or (2), the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are connectable to a mounting surface formed on the front surface of the circuit board, and the second contact portion may be located behind the circuit board at least in its rear end portion. By making both the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion connectable to the front surface of the circuit board in this way, the electrical connector can be mounted on the circuit board from the front. Therefore, the mounting work of the electrical connector becomes easier compared to the case in which the first connecting portion is mounted on one surface of the circuit board and the second connecting portion is connected to the other surface of the circuit board.

[0012] (4) In the invention of (1) or (2), the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are connectable to a mounting surface formed on the rear surface of the circuit board, and the first contact portion may be located in front of the circuit board, at least the front end portion. By making both the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion connectable to the rear surface of the circuit board in this way, the electrical connector can be mounted on the circuit board from the rear. Therefore, the mounting work of the electrical connector becomes easier compared to the case in which the first connecting portion is mounted on one surface of the circuit board and the second connecting portion is connected to the other surface of the circuit board.

[0013] (5) In the inventions of (1) to (4), the first connection portion and the second connection portion may be arranged in a staggered pattern relative to each other. In this way, when the mounting surface of the circuit board is viewed in the front-to-back direction, both the first connection portion and the second connection portion can be seen. Therefore, the connection status of the first connection portion and the second connection portion to the circuit board can be easily confirmed.

[0014] (6) In the invention of (5), the second contact portion is provided at the same position as the second connection portion in the direction of arrangement of the terminals, the first contact portion is less elastically deformable than the second contact portion, and has a first bias portion extending with a component in the direction of arrangement on the rear end side of the first contact portion, and the portion located in front of the first bias portion is positioned offset from the first connection portion in the direction of arrangement, and may be provided at the same position as the second contact portion of the second terminal.

[0015] By providing the first contact portion in this position, the first connection portion of the first terminal and the second connection portion of the second terminal can be arranged in a staggered pattern in any electrical connector, while the first contact portion of the first terminal of the electrical connector can be positioned in the same position as the second contact portion of the corresponding second terminal of the mating connector in the terminal arrangement direction, ensuring reliable contact with the second contact portion. Furthermore, the first deflection portion is formed on the rear end side of the first contact portion so as to bend with a component in the terminal arrangement direction. Since this bent first deflection portion is formed on the first contact portion which is relatively resistant to elastic deformation, the impact of providing the first deflection portion on the strength of the first contact portion itself can be minimized.

[0016] (7) In the invention of (5), the first contact portion is provided at the same position as the first connection portion in the direction of arrangement of the terminals, the second contact portion is less elastically deformable than the first contact portion, and has a second bias portion extending with a component in the direction of arrangement on the front end side of the second contact portion, and the portion located behind the second bias portion is positioned offset from the second connection portion in the direction of arrangement, and may be provided at the same position as the first contact portion of the first terminal.

[0017] By providing the second contact portion in this position, the first connection portion of the first terminal and the second connection portion of the second terminal can be arranged in a staggered pattern in any electrical connector, while the second contact portion of the second terminal of the electrical connector can be positioned in the same position as the first contact portion of the first terminal of the corresponding mating connector in the terminal arrangement direction, thereby ensuring reliable contact with the first contact portion. Furthermore, the second bias portion is formed on the front end side of the second contact portion so as to bend with a component in the terminal arrangement direction. Since this bent second bias portion is formed on the second contact portion, which is relatively resistant to elastic deformation, the impact of providing the second bias portion on the strength of the second contact portion itself can be minimized.

[0018] (8) The electrical connector assembly according to the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of electrical connectors according to any one of the inventions (1) to (7) are connected together.

[0019] (9) The unit according to the present invention is characterized in that the circuit board on which the electrical connector of any one of the inventions (1) to (7) is mounted is housed in a housing.

[0020] (10) The unit connector according to the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of units of the invention (9) are connected in the front-rear direction, and the fitting depth between the electrical connectors is defined by the interference in the front-rear direction between any two connected units. [Advantages of the Invention]

[0021] In the present invention, the number of parts in a plurality of connected units can be reduced. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a cross-sectional view showing a unit connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention, where (A) shows a state before connecting a plurality of units, and (B) shows a state after connecting a plurality of units. [[ID=2又]] [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing two electrical connectors with a circuit board provided in the unit shown in FIG. 1 side by side, showing a state before connecting the electrical connectors. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view showing one electrical connector with a circuit board shown in FIG. 2 separated into the electrical connector and the circuit board. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view showing the terminals provided in the electrical connector shown in FIG. 3 individually, where (A) shows the first terminal and (B) shows the second terminal. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector with a circuit board shown in FIG. 3, showing a cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the width direction of the connector at the positions of the first terminal and the second terminal. [Figure 6] It is a partially enlarged view of the electrical connector with a circuit board, where (A) is a perspective view and (B) is a front view. [Figure 7]This is a cross-sectional view showing the connection state of two circuit board-mounted electrical connectors. (A) shows the connection state when the mating depth is deep, and (B) shows the connection state when the mating depth is shallow. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view showing the connected state of two circuit board-equipped electrical connectors in a second embodiment of the present invention, where (A) shows the connected state when the mating depth is deep, and (B) shows the connected state when the mating depth is shallow. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0024] <First Embodiment> The electrical connector according to this embodiment is used, for example, in a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) used for factory automation. This PLC is configured as a unit assembly in which multiple units are connected in one direction. Furthermore, when focusing on the electrical connector of each unit in this unit assembly, it can be said that the connector assembly is formed by connecting multiple electrical connectors. Figures 1(A) and 1(B) are cross-sectional views of the unit assembly according to this embodiment, taken from a plane perpendicular to the connector width direction (Y-axis direction). Here, Figure 1(A) shows the state before multiple units U are connected, and (B) shows the state after multiple units U are connected.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1(A) and 1(B), the electrical connector 1 (hereinafter referred to as "connector 1") is provided on each unit U while mounted on the circuit board B. In this embodiment, multiple units U are connected with the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction) perpendicular to the circuit board B as the connection direction. Here, the X1 direction is forward and the X2 direction is backward. In this embodiment, the unit connection is made up of three units U, but the number of units that make up the PLC is not limited to this and is set as appropriate according to the design specifications of the PLC.

[0026] In each unit U, a circuit board B on which connector 1 is mounted is housed in a roughly rectangular prism-shaped housing C. Connector 1 has a first mating portion 11 located on the front end (X1 side) which is positioned on the front of housing C, and a second mating portion 12 located on the rear end (X2 side) which is positioned on the rear of housing C. Therefore, in any two units U, the units U are connected by mating the first mating portion 11 of the unit U located at the rear (X2 side) with the second mating portion 12 of the unit U located at the front (X1 side) from the rear.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1(B), any two connected units U have their outer surfaces C in contact with each other in the front-to-back direction when connected. In this embodiment, the mating depth of the connectors 1 is determined by the interference of the unit housings U in the front-to-back direction.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1(A), the housing C has a protruding opening C1 that extends cylindrically from the front of its lower part. The first mating portion 11 of the connector 1 is housed inside the protruding opening C1. The housing C also has a hole-shaped receiving opening C2 on the rear of its lower part. The second mating portion 12 of the connector 1 faces the receiving opening C2 toward the rear. When connecting any two units U by mating the connectors 1 together, as shown in Figure 1(B), the protruding opening C1 of the rear-facing unit U is inserted from the rear into the receiving opening C2 of the front-facing unit U.

[0029] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing two connectors with circuit boards (connector 1 mounted on circuit board B) side by side, which are provided on unit U in Figure 1, and shows the state before the connectors 1 are connected to each other. As shown in Figure 2, circuit board B is positioned so that its surface is perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, and the front surface is the mounting surface B1. Connector 1 is positioned from the front of the mounting surface B1 of circuit board B and mounted by soldering.

[0030] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the same electrical connector with a circuit board as shown in Figure 2, separated into connector 1 and circuit board B. As shown in Figure 3, the lower edge of the circuit board B in the middle section in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction) is cut out to form a notch B2. The notch B2 allows the second mating portion 12 of the connector 1 to pass towards the rear (X2 side) when the connector 1 is mounted, thereby making it possible to position the connector 1 on the mounting surface B1 from the front (X1 side) without interfering with the circuit board B. In addition, circular holes B3 for positioning the connector 1 are formed on both sides of the notch B2 in the connector width direction, penetrating the circuit board B in the front-to-back direction (plate thickness direction).

[0031] On the mounting surface B1 of circuit board B, multiple pads (circuit sections) B4 and B5 are arranged in the region directly above the notch B2, with the connector width direction as the arrangement direction. Pads B4 and B5 consist of a first pad B4 to which the first terminal 20 of connector 1 (described later) is soldered, and a second pad B5 to which the second terminal 30 of connector 1 (described later) is soldered. There are the same number of first pads B4 and second pads B5, and the rows of first pads B4 are located above the rows of second pads B5. In addition, the rows of second pads B5 are offset by half a pitch in the connector width direction relative to the rows of first pads B4. In other words, the first pads B4 and second pads B5 are arranged in a staggered pattern (see also Figures 6(A) and (B)).

[0032] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the connector 1 has a housing 10 made of an electrical insulating material such as resin, and two types of metal terminals 20 and 30 arranged in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction) and held in the housing 10 (see also Figure 5). The housing 10 has a first fitting portion 11 provided on the front end side (X1 side), a second fitting portion 12 provided on the rear end side (X2 side), a terminal holding portion 13 provided above the second fitting portion 12 (Z1 side), and end walls 14 provided on both ends of the housing in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction).

[0033] Before describing the details of the housing 10's configuration, the configurations of the two types of terminals 20 and 30 will be described. The terminals 20 and 30 consist of a first terminal 20 as a male terminal and a second terminal 30 as a female terminal, each having a different shape. Figure 4(A) is a perspective view showing the first terminal 20 alone, and Figure 4(B) is a perspective view showing the second terminal 30 alone. As shown in Figure 4(A), the first terminal 20 is made by bending a metal strip in the thickness direction, and has a first connecting portion 21 that extends vertically and is provided on one end of the longitudinal direction of the first terminal 20, a first contact portion 22 that extends in the front-rear direction and is provided on the other end, and a first retained portion 23 and a first transition portion 24 provided between the first connecting portion 21 and the first contact portion 22.

[0034] The first connection portion 21 is positioned from the front to the first pad B4 of the circuit board B and soldered to it (see Figure 5). The first contact portion 22 is located in front of the first connection portion 21 (towards X1) and extends in the front-rear direction along the upper surface of the first mating portion 11 (see Figure 5). The first contact portion 22 has a first bias portion 22A provided on the rear end side (towards X2) and a contact arm portion 22B extending forward from the first bias portion 22A. The first bias portion 22A is inclined toward the Y2 side in the connector width direction with respect to the front-rear direction (X-axis direction), that is, it extends with a component that is directed toward the Y2 side in the connector width direction. The contact arm portion 22B extends straight from the front end of the first bias portion 22A to the front end (free end) of the first contact portion 22 without inclination with respect to the front-rear direction.

[0035] Because the first contact portion 22 is provided with a first bias portion 22A, the contact arm portion 22B is positioned offset by half a pitch towards the Y2 side in the connector width direction relative to the first connecting portion 21, the first held portion 23, and the first transition portion 24. As will be described later, the entire range of the contact arm portion 22B in the front-rear direction of the first contact portion 22 is within the range where it can contact the second contact portion 32 of the other connector 1 (mating connector), as will be described later. In other words, the total length of the contact arm portion 22B in the front-rear direction is the so-called effective mating length.

[0036] The first retained portion 23 extends in a straight line vertically, as shown in Figure 4(A), and its lower end is connected to the rear end of the first bias portion 22A. The first retained portion 23 extends along the front surface of the terminal retaining portion 13 of the housing 10 and is press-fitted and held by the terminal retaining portion 13 (see Figures 5 and 6(A), (B)). Near the upper end of the first retained portion 23, there are multiple first press-fitting protrusions 23A that protrude from both side edges in the terminal width direction (connector width direction). The first transition portion 24 extends from the upper end of the first retained portion 23, sloping upward as it moves rearward, and its rear end is connected to the lower end of the first connecting portion 21.

[0037] As shown in Figure 4(B), the second terminal 30 is made by bending a metal strip of the same thickness as the first terminal 20 in the thickness direction, and has a second connecting portion 31 that extends vertically and is provided on one end in the longitudinal direction of the second terminal 30, a second contact portion 32 that extends in the front-rear direction and is provided on the other end, and a crank portion 33 and a second transition portion 34 provided between the second connecting portion 31 and the second contact portion 32.

[0038] The second connection portion 31 is positioned from the front to the second pad B5 of the circuit board B and soldered to it (see Figure 5). The second contact portion 32 is located behind the second connection portion 31 (towards X2) and extends in the front-rear direction along the upper wall 12A of the second mating portion 12 (see Figure 5), and is elastically deformable in the vertical direction. The second contact portion 32 is bent so as to protrude downwards near its rear end, forming a contact projection 32A. In other words, the portion of the second contact portion 32 located in front of the contact projection 32A extends in an upward inclination as it moves forward from the contact projection 32A, and the portion located behind the contact projection 32A extends in an upward inclination as it moves backward from the contact projection 32A. The second contact portion 32 can make contact with the first contact portion 22 of the first terminal 20 provided on another connector 1 (another mating connector) via the contact projection 32A.

[0039] The crank portion 33 is bent at the front end of the second contact portion 32 and extends upward, then bent sequentially forward and further upward, and is connected to the lower end of the second transition portion 34, forming a crank shape when viewed in the connector width direction. Of the crank portion 33, the portion extending upward from the front end of the second contact portion 32 extends along the rear surface of the terminal holding portion 13 of the housing 10 and forms the second retained portion 33A that is press-fitted and held by the terminal holding portion 13 of the housing 10 (see Figure 5). A plurality of second press-fitting protrusions 33A-1 are provided near the upper end of the second retained portion 33A, protruding from both side edges in the terminal width direction (connector width direction).

[0040] Furthermore, the portion of the crank section 33 that extends in the front-rear direction is formed below the circuit board B as a lateral section 33B that extends across the circuit board B in the front-rear direction (the thickness direction of the circuit board) (see Figures 5, 7(A), (B)). In this embodiment, because the lateral section 33B is provided across the circuit board B in this way, the second connection section 31 and the second transition section 34 are provided in front of the circuit board B, and the second contact section 32 is provided behind the circuit board B.

[0041] The second transition portion 34 extends from the upper end of the second retained portion 33A, sloping upward as it moves towards the rear, and its rear end is connected to the lower end of the second connecting portion 31. In this embodiment, the second transition portion 34 is inclined at approximately the same angle as the first transition portion 24 of the first terminal 20 and extends approximately parallel to the first transition portion 24.

[0042] Returning to the description of the housing 10, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector with a circuit board, showing a cross-section of a plane perpendicular to the connector width direction at the positions of the first terminal 20 and the second terminal 30. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the first mating portion 11 protrudes forward from the front surface of the second mating portion 12 and extends over a range including the terminal arrangement range in the connector width direction, and has a plate-like shape with thickness in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 5, a front groove portion 11A extending in the front-rear direction is formed on the upper surface of the first mating portion 11, arranged in the connector width direction. The front groove portion 11A is formed at a position shifted by half a pitch towards the Y2 side in the connector width direction relative to the first retaining groove 13C, which will be described later, and at the same position in the connector width direction as the rear groove portion 12A-1 and the crank groove 13D, which will be described later.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5, the front groove 11A is formed in the range from the front end to the rear end of the upper surface of the first mating portion 11 in the front-rear direction, and accommodates the contact arm 22B of the first terminal 20. In other words, the partition wall separating adjacent front grooves 11A does not extend to the rear end of the first mating portion 11 in the front-rear direction, that is, it does not exist in the range corresponding to the first bias portion 22A in the front-rear direction. In other words, in this range in the front-rear direction, a single space is formed that extends across the entire range of the first mating portion 11 in the connector width direction, and the first bias portion 22A of each first terminal 20 is accommodated in this space (see Figure 6(A)).

[0044] As shown in Figure 5, the second mating portion 12 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with the connector width direction as its longitudinal direction, and has an upper wall 12A and a lower wall 12B that face each other in the vertical direction and extend in the connector width direction, a side wall 12C (see Figure 3) that extends in the vertical direction and connects the ends of the upper wall 12A and the lower wall 12B in the connector width direction, and a front wall 12D provided on the front end side of the second mating portion 12. The space enclosed by the upper wall 12A, the lower wall 12B and the side wall 12C and opening toward the rear forms a receiving portion 15 for receiving the first mating portion 11 of another electrical connector (another mating connector) from the rear. The front end of the receiving portion 15 is closed by the front wall 12D.

[0045] As shown in Figure 5, a rear groove 12A-1 extending in the front-rear direction and penetrating in the vertical direction is formed on the rear end side of the upper wall 12A, arranged in the width direction of the connector. The rear groove 12A-1 accommodates the second contact portion 32 of the second terminal 30 in a state that is elastically deformable in the vertical direction.

[0046] The terminal holding portion 13 has a protruding wall portion 13A that protrudes from the upper surface of the upper wall 12A at the front end side of the second mating portion 12, and a ridge portion 13B that protrudes from the upper surface of the protruding wall portion 13A at the front end side of the protruding wall portion 13A, and extends with the connector width direction as the longitudinal direction. As shown in Figure 5, the protruding wall portion 13A has a rectangular cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the connector width direction.

[0047] The front surfaces of the protruding wall portion 13A and the protruding ridge portion 13B are in the same position as the front surface of the front wall 12D of the second mating portion 12 in the front-rear direction. The rear surface of the protruding wall portion 13A is in the same position as the front end surface of the rear groove portion 12A-1. On the front surface of the terminal holding portion 13, a first holding groove 13C is formed in the connector width direction, extending vertically over the extent of both the protruding wall portion 13A and the protruding ridge portion 13B. The first holding groove 13C accommodates and press-fits the first retained portion 23 of the first terminal 20. In addition, a crank groove 13D is formed in the connector width direction on the terminal holding portion 13, extending in a crank shape along the rear surface of the protruding wall portion 13A, the upper surface of the protruding wall portion 13A, and the rear surface of the protruding ridge portion 13B. The crank groove 13D accommodates the crank portion 33 of the second terminal 30. The groove portion of the crank groove 13D that extends vertically along the rear surface of the protruding wall portion 13A and communicates with the rear groove portion 12A-1 is formed as a second retaining groove 13D-1 that accommodates and press-fits the second retained portion 33A of the second terminal 30.

[0048] In this embodiment, the rear groove 12A-1 and the crank groove 13D are provided at a position offset by half a pitch on the Y2 side relative to the first retaining groove 13C in the connector width direction, and are provided at the same position relative to the front groove 11A.

[0049] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the end wall 14 is provided extending vertically along the mounting surface B1 (front) of the circuit board B, on both outer sides of the first mating portion 11, the second mating portion 12, and the terminal holding portion 13 in the connector width direction. In the front-rear direction, the end wall 14 is located behind the first mating portion 11, in other words, in the range corresponding to the front end portions of the second mating portion 12 and the terminal holding portion 13, and in the vertical direction, it is located in the range from above the first connection portion 21 of the first terminal 20 to the lower surface of the second mating portion 12. As shown in Figure 3, a cylindrical positioning projection 14A is provided at the lower part of the end wall 14, which is inserted from the front into the hole B3 of the circuit board B when the connector 1 is mounted on the circuit board B.

[0050] Connector 1 is assembled in the following manner. First, the second terminal 30 is attached to the terminal holding portion 13 of the housing 10 from above. Specifically, the second press-fit projection 33A-1 of the second retained portion 33A of the second terminal 30 is pressed into the second retaining groove 13D-1 from above by engaging the second press-fit projection 33A-1 of the second retained portion 33A with the inner surface of the second retaining groove 13D-1. As a result, the crank portion 33 is housed in the crank groove 13D, and the second contact portion 32 is housed in the rear groove portion 12A-1 in a state that allows for elastic deformation in the vertical direction. At this time, the contact projection 32A of the second contact portion 32 protrudes downward from the rear groove portion 12A-1 and is located within the receiving portion 15. The second transition portion 34 and the second connecting portion 31 extend upward from the second retaining groove 13D-1.

[0051] Next, the first terminal 20 is attached to the terminal holding portion 13 of the housing 10 from above. Specifically, the first press-fit projection 23A of the first retained portion 23 of the first terminal 20 is pressed into the inner surface of the first retaining groove 13C, thereby press-fitting the first retained portion 23 into the first retaining groove 13C from above. As a result, the first retained portion 23 is housed in the first retaining groove 13C, and the contact arm portion 22B of the first contact portion 22 is housed in the front groove portion 11A. At this time, the first contact portion 22 is supported from below by the upper surface of the first mating portion 11, and does not elastically deform in the vertical direction. By sequentially attaching the second terminal 30 and the first terminal 20 to the housing 10 in this manner, the connector 1 is completed.

[0052] In this embodiment, two types of terminals, namely a first terminal 20 and a second terminal 30, are provided on a single connector 1, and this connector 1 alone can connect to both a connector 1 located at the front (a mating connector) and a connector 1 located at the rear (another mating connector). Therefore, compared to the conventional method of mounting one electrical connector on each side of a single circuit board, fewer electrical connectors are required, and as a result, the number of components can be reduced.

[0053] In this embodiment, the first deflection portion 22A of the first terminal 20 is formed on the rear end side of the first contact portion 22 so as to bend with a component in the connector width direction. Since the first deflection portion 22A is formed on the first contact portion 22 which is not elastically deformed, the effect of providing the first deflection portion 22A on the strength of the first contact portion 22 itself can be minimized.

[0054] In this embodiment, the first terminal 20 and the second terminal 30 are formed from metal strips of the same thickness. However, alternatively, for example, the first terminal 20 may be formed from a metal strip thicker than the second terminal 30. In that case, the first contact portion 22 of the first terminal 20 will have higher strength than the second contact portion 32 of the second terminal 30. Therefore, the first contact portion 22 will be less prone to elastic deformation in the thickness direction than the second contact portion 32, regardless of whether it is supported by the housing 10, and the influence of the first bias portion 22A on the strength of the first contact portion 22 itself can be minimized.

[0055] Connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface B1 (front) of circuit board B, positioned from the front. Specifically, the positioning projection 14A of the housing 10 of connector 1 is inserted from the front into the hole B3 of circuit board B, and the first connection portion 21 of the first terminal 20 is placed on the first pad B4, and the second connection portion 31 of the second terminal 30 is placed on the second pad B5. In this embodiment, since a notch B2 is formed on the lower edge of circuit board B, the rear ends of the second mating portion 12 and the terminal holding portion 13 of connector 1 can be positioned behind circuit board B without interfering with circuit board B. Then, the first connection portion 21 and the second connection portion 31 are soldered to the first pad B4 and the second pad B5, for example by reflow soldering, and connector 1 is mounted on circuit board B.

[0056] In this embodiment, since both the first connection portion 21 and the second connection portion 31 are connected to the front surface of the circuit board B, the connector 1 can be mounted on the circuit board B from the front. Therefore, compared to the case where the first connection portion 21 is mounted on one side of the circuit board B and the second connection portion 31 is connected to the other side of the circuit board B, the mounting work of the connector 1 becomes easier.

[0057] Figures 6(A) and 6(B) are enlarged views of a portion of the connector 1 mounted on the circuit board B, with Figure 6(A) being a perspective view and Figure 6(B) being a front view. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 6(A) and 6(B), the first connection portion 21 and the second connection portion 31 are arranged in a staggered pattern. As shown in Figure 6(B), when the mounting surface B1 of the circuit board B is viewed from the front, the second connection portion 31 is located between the first retained portions 23 of adjacent first terminals 20, and as a result, both the first connection portion 21 and the second connection portion 31 are visible. Therefore, the solder connection state of the first connection portion 21 and the second connection portion 31 to the first pad B4 and the second pad B5 of the circuit board B can be easily confirmed.

[0058] Next, the mating operation of connectors 1 will be described. Connectors 1 mounted on circuit board B are housed together with circuit board B in the housing C of unit U (see Figures 1(A) and (B)). As previously described, adjacent units U are connected by mating with each other, and the mating depth of connectors 1 is determined by the interference of the housings C (see Figure 1(B)).

[0059] The connectors 1 of adjacent units U are connected by inserting the first mating portion 11 of the connector 1 of the rear unit U into the receiving portion 15 of the second mating portion 12 of the connector 1 of the front unit U from the rear. When the first mating portion 11 of the rear connector 1 is inserted into the receiving portion 15 of the front connector 1, the first contact portion 22 of the first terminal 20 provided on the rear connector 1 pushes up the contact projection 32A of the second terminal 30 provided on the front connector 1, causing the second contact portion 32 to elastically deform upward. As a result, the contact projection 32A makes contact with the first contact portion 22 from above with contact pressure (see Figures 7(A) and (B)).

[0060] In this embodiment, in each connector 1, the contact arm 22B of the first contact portion 22 is positioned offset in the connector width direction relative to the first connection portion 21, but is positioned at the same location in the connector width direction relative to the second contact portion 32 of the second terminal 30. Therefore, when connecting any two connectors 1, the contact arm 22B of the rear-facing connector 1 and the second contact portion 32 of the front-facing connector 1 make reliable contact without being offset in the connector width direction.

[0061] The mating connection operation is performed until the housings C of the unit U interfere with each other, and is completed when the first mating portion 11 reaches a predetermined mating depth (see Figure 1(B)). Figures 7(A) and 7(B) are cross-sectional views showing the mating state of connectors 1 in any two adjacent units U, with Figure 7(A) showing the mating state when the mating depth is deep, and Figure 7(B) showing the mating state when the mating depth is shallow. When the mating depth of the connectors 1 is deep, as shown in Figure 7(A), the contact projection 32A of the second contact portion 32 contacts the rear end portion of the contact arm portion 22B of the first contact portion 22. On the other hand, when the mating depth of the connectors 1 is shallow, as shown in Figure 7(B), the contact projection 32A of the second contact portion 32 contacts the front end portion of the contact arm portion 22B of the first contact portion 22.

[0062] In this embodiment, the contact position of the contact projection 32A with respect to the first contact portion 22 differs in the front-rear direction depending on the mating depth of the connectors 1. However, at any mating depth, the contact projection 32A contacts the contact arm portion 22B within the entire length of the contact arm portion 22B, i.e., within the effective mating length. In other words, in this embodiment, as long as the mating depth of any two connected connectors 1 is changed, the contact state between the first contact portion 22 and the second contact portion 32 can be ensured. Therefore, even if the mating depth is changed due to specifications such as the shape and size of the housing C, a good electrical connection state between the connectors 1 can be ensured.

[0063] In this embodiment, the first terminal 20 is formed as a male terminal and the second terminal 30 as a female terminal. However, as an alternative modification, for example, the first terminal may be formed as a female terminal and the second terminal as a male terminal. Specifically, the first contact portion of the first terminal located on the front end side of the connector is made elastically deformable in the plate thickness direction (vertical direction), and the second contact portion of the second terminal located on the rear end side of the connector is made less elastically deformable by, for example, being supported by the housing or by making the second contact portion itself thicker. In this modification, the first terminal is not provided with a first bias portion, and the second bias portion extending in the connector width direction is provided on the front end side of the second contact portion of the second terminal. As a result, the contact arm portion located behind the second bias portion in the second contact portion is positioned offset from the second connection portion in the connector width direction and is provided at the same position as the first contact portion of the first terminal. Furthermore, as a second embodiment, both the first and second terminals may be formed as female terminals, as will be described later based on Figures 8(A) and (B).

[0064] In this embodiment, both the first terminal 20 and the second terminal 30 are positioned and connected from the front to the mounting surface B1 formed on the front of the circuit board B. However, as an alternative modification, the mounting surface may be formed on the rear of the circuit board, and both the first and second terminals may be positioned and connected from the rear to the mounting surface. In this modification, the connector is mounted to the circuit board from the rear. Therefore, the mounting work of the electrical connector becomes easier compared to the case where the first connection part is mounted on one side of the circuit board and the second connection part is connected to the other side of the circuit board.

[0065] <Second Embodiment> In the first embodiment, the first terminal was formed as a male terminal and the second terminal as a female terminal. However, in this embodiment, both the first and second terminals are formed as female terminals, which is a difference from the first embodiment.

[0066] Figures 8(A) and 8(B) are cross-sectional views showing the mating state of connectors 101 in any two adjacent units U in this embodiment, and correspond to Figures 7(A) and 7(B) in the first embodiment. That is, Figure 8(A) shows the mating state when the mating depth is deep, and Figure 8(B) shows the mating state when the mating depth is shallow. In Figures 8(A) and 8(B), parts corresponding to each part in the first embodiment are indicated by reference numerals that add "100" to the reference numerals in the first embodiment.Here, we will mainly explain the parts that differ from the first embodiment, and we will omit the explanation of the parts that are common to the first embodiment.

[0067] As shown in Figures 8(A) and 8(B), in this embodiment, the first contact portion 122 of the first terminal 120 is an arm-shaped structure that extends straight forward and is elastically deformable in the vertical direction (plate thickness direction), and has a first contact projection 122C formed by bending to protrude upward at its front end (free end). On the other hand, the second contact portion 132 of the second terminal 130 has a shape that is like the first contact portion 122 inverted vertically. That is, the second contact portion 132 is an arm-shaped structure that extends straight backward and is elastically deformable in the vertical direction (plate thickness direction), and has a second contact projection 132C formed by bending to protrude downward at its rear end (free end).

[0068] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 8(A) and (B), when the connectors are mated, the first contact projection 122C of the first contact portion 122 contacts the second contact portion 132 from below with contact pressure, and the second contact projection 132C of the second contact portion 132 contacts the first contact portion 122 from above with contact pressure. In other words, the first contact portion 122 and the second contact portion 132 are in contact at two points, the first contact projection 122C and the second contact projection 132C. In this embodiment, because the first contact portion 122 and the second contact portion 132 are in contact at two points, the electrical connection between the connectors 101 is more stable compared to the first embodiment, as there are more contact points. Furthermore, since the first contact portion 122 and the second contact portion 132 are in contact at two points regardless of the mating depth of the connectors 101, the electrical connection is always stable.

[0069] In the first and second embodiments, the connection portions of the first and second terminals are placed on pads provided on the mounting surface of the circuit board and soldered together. However, the connection method between the terminals and the circuit board is not limited to this. For example, the connection portions of the terminals may be inserted through through-holes formed in the circuit board and soldered together. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 1 Connector 10 Housing 11 First fitting part 12 Second fitting part 20,120 First terminal 21 First connection section 22,122 First contact part 22A First deflection part 30,130 Second terminal 31 Second connection section 32,132 Second contact part Circuit board B B1 Implementation side

Claims

1. An electrical connector that is mounted on a circuit board and can be connected in multiples with the front-to-back direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the circuit board as the connection direction, Two types of terminals arranged parallel to the aforementioned mounting surface, It has a housing that holds the two types of terminals mentioned above, The housing has a first fitting portion provided on the front end side and a second fitting portion provided on the rear end side. The two types of terminals described above have a first terminal that forms a first terminal row and a second terminal that forms a second terminal row. The first terminal has a first connection portion that is connected to the circuit board, and a first contact portion that extends in the front-rear direction along the first fitting portion, forward of the first connection portion. The second terminal has a second connection portion that is connected to the circuit board, and a second contact portion that extends in the front-rear direction along the second fitting portion behind the first contact portion. The first mating portion of the electrical connector is fitted from the rear into the second mating portion of the mating connector located in front of the electrical connector, so that the first contact portion of the electrical connector can contact the second contact portion of the second terminal of the mating connector. An electrical connector characterized in that the first mating portion of another mating connector located behind the electrical connector is mated to the second mating portion of the electrical connector from behind, thereby enabling the second contact portion of the electrical connector to contact the first contact portion of the first terminal of the other mating connector.

2. The first contact portion of the electrical connector is capable of contacting the second contact portion of the second terminal of the mating connector within the range of the effective mating length. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the second contact portion of the electrical connector is capable of contacting the first contact portion of the first terminal of the other mating connector within the range of the effective mating length.

3. The first connection portion and the second connection portion are connectable to a mounting surface formed on the front surface of the circuit board. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein at least the rear end portion of the second contact portion is located behind the circuit board.

4. The first connection portion and the second connection portion are connectable to a mounting surface formed on the rear surface of the circuit board. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein at least the front end portion of the first contact portion is located in front of the circuit board.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are arranged in a staggered pattern relative to each other.

6. The second contact portion is provided at the same position as the second connection portion in the direction of the arrangement of the terminals. The electrical connector according to claim 5, wherein the first contact portion is less elastically deformable than the second contact portion, and has a first bias portion extending with a component in the direction of arrangement on the rear end side of the first contact portion, and the portion located in front of the first bias portion is positioned offset from the first connection portion in the direction of arrangement, and is provided at the same position as the second contact portion of the second terminal.

7. The first contact portion is provided at the same position as the first connection portion in the direction of the arrangement of the terminals, The electrical connector according to claim 5, wherein the second contact portion is less elastically deformable than the first contact portion, has a second bias portion extending with a component in the direction of arrangement on the front end side of the second contact portion, and the portion located behind the second bias portion is positioned offset from the second connection portion in the direction of arrangement, and is provided at the same position as the first contact portion of the first terminal.

8. An electrical connector connector characterized by having a plurality of electrical connectors according to any one of claims 1 to 7 connected together.

9. A unit characterized in that the circuit board on which the electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is mounted is housed in a housing.

10. A unit coupling characterized in that a plurality of units according to claim 9 are connected in the front-to-back direction, and the mating depth of the electrical connectors is determined by the front-to-back interference between any two connected units.

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